The Shaman of Konoha
by Corruptmonk
Summary: The result of the Kyuubi's sealing destroyed Naruto's ability to mold chakra. However, the sealing also caused Naruto's Furyoku (Spiritual Energy) to manifest during a beating under the hands of Konoha's villagers, thereby manifesting, for the first time, his Guardian Spirit – The Spirit of Fire. Behold as the line of shaman once again grace the earth.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a new story that has been keeping me awake for a week now. I decided to write it down and publish it here in FF for my readers to read. I am already working on the second chapter since my muse seems to be working overtime for some reason about this crossover. **

**If you have any suggestions or violent reactions, please send a PM. **

**I'll be waiting. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King. **

* * *

**Chapter 1: Reborn**

A depressed Naruto walked out of Ichiraku Ramen, making his way home without his usual cheerful air. He was enrolled a week ago in the shinobi program at the Academy due to his drive to become the Hokage and gain the respect of the villagers. However, that goal was crushed when the teachers discovered (to their hidden glee) that he couldn't mold chakra.

The Hokage, upon hearing this, immediately took Naruto to the hospital for a thorough checkup. Kuroto, one of the few doctors in the hospital who didn't hate Naruto, gave him a complete medical examination to find out what the problem was and cure it immediately.

It was an hour later that they discovered that Naruto could not become a shinobi due to his inability to use chakra. Of course, Naruto fainted immediately when he heard that, totally missing the conversation between the Sandaime and Kuroto.

It would seem that the seal holding the Kyuubi had a side-effect that none of them were able to expect. The seal, which was already a part of Naruto, permanently sealed off his ability to mold chakra. Sure, the boy had spiritual and physical energy in spades due to his status as a jinchuuriki but the seal made it impossible for the boy to combine them to form chakra that was a staple for any shinobi.

The Sandaime was given two options.

One, undo the seal for Naruto to mold chakra again (give or take a few years for his coils to adapt) but would result in releasing the Kyuubi that would result in Konoha's destruction.

Two, deny Naruto the ability to use chakra to keep the Kyuubi contained, thus, making sure that Konoha continues to thrive.

The Sandaime Hokage, with the heavy heart, chose the lesser of two evils – keeping the seal intact and stopping Naruto from ever becoming a shinobi, shattering his lifelong dream to become the Hokage.

When Naruto woke up, the Sandaime took the depressed boy to Ichiraku Ramen to get the boy to cheer up. To their shock and amazement, Naruto wasn't able to finish a bowl of his favorite ramen before asking for leave to go home.

Naruto walked the streets of Konoha in a gait that many would describe as zombie like. The blonde, due to his extreme bout of depression, didn't notice the mob forming behind him, eyeing him as if he was a piece of meat.

* * *

A bloody and broken Uzumaki Naruto lay unmoving in one of the hidden alleys in Konoha surrounded by a mob composed of both civilians and shinobi. They spent half an hour tearing into the boy, thinking that it was their right to make him suffer being the Kyuubi's container – in their minds, hurting Naruto was like hurting the monster he contained.

Naruto, due to his depression, didn't even shout as the sharp weapons cut his body up, he didn't scream as his bones broke. He didn't yell as blows upon blows were rained down on him. Some of the mob stopped when they noticed the boy' silent acceptance, unnerve at the fact that a five year old boy didn't even notice their actions.

Unknown to them, something was happening inside the boy's mind, or to be more precise, his soul.

* * *

Naruto stood blankly as he stared at the darkness creeping up on him. When the mob started cutting him up, he didn't know how he did it, but he went into a trance and entered his mind. He found himself in a sewer, ankle-deep in water. He noticed a loud roar echoing from the distance but he ignored it. Instead, he focused on the darkness creeping up on him, slowly, ever so slowly, eating up the sewer that he didn't know was a representation of his mind and soul.

The shadow eating his mind and soul was his approaching death.

"I wish everything would end." Naruto whispered to himself. "I don't know why I kept holding onto life anymore."

_Is that your wish, Uzumaki Naruto?_

"Who's there?" Naruto asked, not even startled when he heard the voice speak to him. The voice that was coming from everywhere around him. He didn't notice the shadow slow down its advance as if time as being slowed down.

_Do you really wish to die?_

"Yes." was the blonde's answer, a smile on his face before turning into longing. "I will meet my parents if I do."

_Did your failure to become a shinobi really affected you that much? So much that you changed immediately from wanting to live life to wanting death's embrace?_

"What else is there?" was Naruto's question.

_What if you were more, Uzumaki Naruto? What if being a shinobi was not your path? What if you were destined for something greater? Something more profound than being a mercenary?_

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked the voice, despite his intentions of leaving this world for the afterlife, a hint of interest laced his tone.

_I will make you an offer, Uzumaki Naruto. If you wish to die then I will not stop you. However, if you wish to hold onto life and start anew, dream of new goals, suffer old and new pains, I will bestow upon you a power that has long been dormant in the world._

"Power?"

_Yes, a power that has been a part of humanity but no longer used. A power that is now a forgotten myth from a time long past. If you wish to live then you will get this power, Uzumaki Naruto. You will become the first Shaman of this generation. _

Naruto was silent as he pondered the voice's offer. Should he live, continue his existence despite the hate and torture he was subjected to? Should he take the offer and deny his longing to see his parents again in the afterlife?

As if these questions opened a floodgate in his mind, Naruto saw the faces of people who cared for him, people who loved him.

The smiling and laughing face of the Sandaime Hokage.

The cheerful and accepting faces of the Ichiraku Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame.

His ANBU guard wearing a Dog mask telling him stories about shinobi missions.

The faces of the merchants that visited the village every month that offered him food and a place to sleep.

The funny duo who guards the large Konoha gate, playing with him if he was bored or lonely.

He smiled as he remembered their faces, determination coursing through his body as he told the voice his decision.

"I will live. I will accept the power. I will do it for my precious people." Naruto declared in a voice that didn't belong to a five year old, a declaration that only those who survived wars and devastation could say in determination.

_Live your life, Uzumaki Naruto. I will grant you the power of your ancestors, the powers of your long forgotten family, the most powerful Shamans that graced the world. Their powers are now yours to use as you see fit. For good or for ill, become a Shaman that would make your family proud, Asakura Naruto. _

Naruto felt something unlock his mind, his body filling up with a powerful energy that encompassed his entire being. The darkness eating away at the sewer disappeared as the walls turned into particles of light.

Asakura Naruto floated amidst a sea of white energy that caressed him, soothed him, empowered him. He felt knowledge enter his mind, history of his forgotten ancestors, their abilities and strength, their failures and weakness, of ancient lore and techniques. All flowed into the boy who accepted his birth right.

"Who are you?" was Asakura Naruto's question as he wanted to know who the voice was, a lingering note of familiarity attached to it.

_My name is Asakura Hao, the Shaman King. Live on my descendant and show to the world that an Asakura Shaman walks the earth again. Fight the good fight, live the good life, and most importantly, protect those who you deem precious while striking fear into the hearts of your enemies._

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes as a pillar of concentrated Furyoku erupted around him, effectively pushing back the crowd as he slowly floated upright. Another burst caused his torn and bloody shirt to disintegrate, showing the mob the wounds healing at an alarming pace as his hair lengthened to reach his ankles. He floated serenely in front of the crowd, face serene as he gazed upon the fearful visage of his attackers.

One of the shinobi in the mob couldn't help but shout.

"The demon! It's escaping!" shouted the shinobi as he flipped through hand seals before launching a large fireball towards the floating Naruto.

Naruto saw the attack coming as if it was in slow motion. He raised his hand towards the projectile as knowledge from his ancestors flooded his mind.

"_**Chou Senji Ryakketsu – Fumon Tonkou."**_

A barrier of pure Furyoku appeared in front of Naruto in a form of a shield that easily absorbed the fireball as if it was nothing. In essence, Fumon Tonkou was an ability to read the flow of spirit, allowing the shaman to avoid spirit-based techniques or render them effective. However, the large amounts of Furyoku Naruto used solidified the technique into something akin to a shield, effectively protecting him from the attack.

"Everyone. Let's attack together. Let's show the demon who's more powerful!" shouted the leader of the mob, a fat civilian carrying a large butcher knife. His words dispelled the fear that gripped the crowd resulting in crazed shouts causing them to attack all at once. Civilian threw their weapons at him while the shinobi in the crowd let lose a barrage of shurikens, kunais, and jutsus

Naruto smiled at mobs desperation. His newly gained ability to read the hearts of people made him realize that they were fearful of him. Fear driving them forward, fear feeding their courage.

But in Naruto's point of view, fear will lead to their deaths under his hands.

"Come, my guardian spirit." Naruto whispered as his Furyoku surged. A pillar of flame surrounded him before expanding outward – melting the metal weapons and sharp cutting kitchen instruments while snuffing out the pitiful Katon jutsus from the shinobi, also reducing the buildings and items around him into ash. The civilians who couldn't get away in time suffered the same fate while those who saw the attack coming were able to retreat to a distance that protected them from the searing flame's reach.

The conflagration surrounding Naruto converged until it formed a gigantic humanoid form that was bigger than the Hokage Tower. The apparition of flames had long arms that almost reached down to the ground, ending in large claws that could easily skewer a full size human with enough left for another. Its neck protruded out of the top of its hunched torso to make way for a head with two large appendages that many would describe as its ears. It had no nose or mouth but the baleful green eyes stared down at the fearful mob as if passing judgment.

"Everyone," Naruto called the attention of what's left of the mob, a smile gracing his face that scared them. The newly awakened shaman felt spiritual signature coming at him at high speed, recognizing two of them belonging to those precious to him. "I would like to thank you for showing me your tender loving care. Thanks to you, I was reborn. No longer will be called as Uzumaki Naruto, the same Naruto who died when he found out that he could no longer be a shinobi or reach his dream as the Hokage of this village. What you see before you is the reborn Naruto, taking up the mantle of my ancestors, a shaman. From this day onward, I shall be known as Asakura Naruto."

As if to drive his point home, the Spirit of Fire let out a roar so powerful it made the whole village tremble. When it was done, the powerful spirit raised its clawed hands towards the crowd as flames converged into a ball.

"Farewell." said Naruto, his smile never leaving his face as his guardian spirit let lose its attack that vaporized what was left of the crowd as well as the surrounding area, reducing some of the houses to ash and killing the ones inside.

With its work done, the large spirit reached down and laid its hand on the ground, palms up. Smiling, Naruto took his place on the offered appendage before being lifted to his guardian's chest.

Casually, Naruto jumped on its shoulder and sat down as the Sandaime and his trusted team of ANBU finally arrived at the scene. Naruto smiled at the man he considered his grandfather.

"Good evening, Hokage-jiji." Naruto greeted the Sandaime Hokage who gaped at the monstrosity in front of him, his grandson in all but blood on its shoulder, totally unafraid or affected by the scene of destruction around him.

"N-Naruto?" the Sandaime stuttered out in disbelief.

"Who else, jiji?" Naruto joked before pointing at the Hokage Tower in the middle of the village. "Shall we go to your office, jiji? We need to talk."

The Sandaime sighed before turning to the squad of ANBU behind him, most specifically, Dog who he was sure was gaping at the sight of his surrogate brother sitting happily on the monstrosity's shoulder.

"Dog, order your squad to clean this mess up. I want a full report later. Clear?"

"H-Hai, Hokage-sama." Dog stuttered before turning to his team to get started with his order.

The Sandaime turned to Naruto and was about to tell the boy to follow him when the giant's hand lowered down in front of him.

"Come on up, jiji. It's safe. My guardian spirit won't hurt you." Naruto told the Sandaime in encouragement.

Deciding to trust his grandson, he stepped on the offered hand before he was raised to where Naruto was before jumping on the shoulder beside the smiling blonde.

"I suggest you hold on, jiji." Naruto warned.

"What?" asked the Hokage before he shouted in surprise when he felt the large being float up into the air and flying towards the Hokage Tower. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but feel happy when he heard the carefree laughter that came out Naruto's mouth.

* * *

**End of Chapter 1. **

**Please leave review or send me a PM if you have suggestions.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. I see that a lot of you love this story. I'm happy. I'm doing chapter 3 right now so I'm hoping to get it up and running in the next few hours. If my body holds up, I can get five chapters done. **

**I got a PM asking why the chapter is short compared to my usual length. Bear with this for now. The chapter will be longer in the future as I go into detail for this story. **

**Also, thanks to one of the reviews, I found a mistake in the first chapter. Naruto will take up the name Asakura Naruto, not Asakura Yoh. I already edited that part. **

**Again, thanks for pointing it out.**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Getting Started**

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, took a large gulp of sake directly from the bottle before massaging his temple. Naruto just finished telling him about his rebirth, the voice that was his ancestor, his powers as a shaman, and the large guardian made of fire ironically named the Spirit of Fire standing guard outside the Hokage Tower. It was a good thing that he told Dog to tell the shinobi of Konoha that the large flame construct was a friendly and not to be attacked unless provoked.

They heeded the Sandaime's words since they had no intentions of facing such a beast. They weren't suicidal, thank you very much.

The aged leader watched as his surrogate grandson made a dozen shikigami out of leaves that he harvested from the tree outside the tower. The leaf was surrounded by an almost transparent bubble with a pair of eyes, hands, and legs. They were flying around Naruto as if they were playing, the blonde laughing at their antics.

"So, let me get this straight. You want to change your name to Asakura Naruto and start a family of shamans in the village, correct?" the Sandaime asked his surrogate grandson.

"Yep." Naruto agreed happily as he tried to poke a shikigami before it danced out of the way. "Since I can't become a shinobi, might as well start something different that only I can do right?"

"Fine. That is acceptable. However, is this…shaman of yours a bloodline?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion, the shikigami beside him doing the same.

"Bloodline?"

"You remember the story I told you about the clans here in the village?" asked the Sandaime to which Naruto nodded. "They have unique abilities described as a bloodline. The Nara Clan's bloodline is their ability to use shadow jutsus, the Hyuuga's all-seeing Byakugan, the Inuzuka's affinity towards canines, and so on. The abilities are passed on to their sons and daughters, hence a bloodline."

"Ah. Yes, you can definitely call it a bloodline. I'm quite sure that my kids will have the same powers as me. Granted they have to be taught the basics and learn the techniques that come with it. But yes, it will be passed on." Naruto told the man before dismissing the shikigami who was annoying him as they tugged at his hair. The leaves fell to the floor as he dispersed the Furyoku giving life to the familiars with a thought.

"I take it you want your status as a shaman be known in the village."

"I think it would be hard to make an alibi about my guardian." Naruto deadpanned as he pointed at the window that showed his spirit guardian's face comically peering at them from outside.

"Speaking of which, is there a way for you to hide…um….it?"

"The Spirit of Fire is quite happy for being out and about the physical world once again after thousands of years but if you insist." said Naruto as he sent a mental command to his guardian causing it to slowly shrink until it became a two foot version of itself. It floated into the office before situating itself on top of Naruto's head. "Will this do?"

"Yes, that will definitely do." said the aged leader in relief. He knew that the giant's presence was already causing a village-wide panic.

Naruto nodded before noticing two spirits entering the room. They phased through the wall and stood beside the aged leader, looking at him expectantly. One of them pointed at himself and pointed at wall behind him. Naruto followed the finger to see a picture of the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage.

"Uh, jiji. Do you know that there are two dead people beside you?" Naruto told aged leader who looked at him in surprise.

"Can you describe them?" Sarutobi asked immediately, not disbelieving the boy's words. After all, it was hard to deny something that happened already.

Naruto didn't answer but pointed at the two pictures on the wall.

"Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama." the Sandaime breathed out. "Are you sure they are here?"

"Yeah. Do you want to talk to them?"

"How?"

Naruto walked over to Hashirama who smiled at him. He raised his hand towards the Shodaime's spirit as it turned into a ball with a face. He channeled a bit of his Furyoku and slammed the ball into his chest.

"_**Hyoi Gattai!"**_

A burst of Furyoku spread out of Naruto before he straightened from his slouch, his face no longer the serene expression that Naruto adopted after his rebirth. This new expression was someone who experienced war, a powerful shinobi with an aura to match.

"Saru. It's nice to talk to you again after all this years." said the possessed Naruto, the combined voice of the blonde and someone that Sarutobi definitely recognized.

"Hashirama-sensei." Sarutobi breathed out. "How is this possible?"

"As a shaman, Naruto has the ability to allow spirits to possess him as a medium, giving the spirit to interact with the world of the living for a limited period of time. The time I can possess him depends on his energy but he can end the connection if he wanted."

"I see. How do you know these things, sensei?" Sarutobi asked, unconscious addressing the Shodaime as he used to when he was part of the man's Genin team when the village was created.

"When I died, I became a part of the world of the dead, where spirits roam. Nothing is hidden from us so we know about shamans and their abilities." explained the Shodaime. "Naruto is quite a powerful shaman for his age. He will definitely become a powerful asset to this village if given a chance."

Sarutobi chuckled.

"I always have high expectations of Naruto."

"Even after you found out that he can never be a shinobi due to his inability to use chakra?" asked the Shodaime, testing his former student's affection towards the boy he was possessing.

"Yes. I know that Naruto was depressed when he learned that he can never be a shinobi but I know that the boy will pull through. He is a very talented lad and I know he will find a way to reach his dreams." Sarutobi said with a smile. "In fact, I already came up with a plan to have some of my best shinobi teach him taijutsu. Even if he can't use chakra, he could still attain his dream one way or another."

"Thank you, jiji." said Naruto as he momentarily took control of his connection with Hashirama before relinquishing it back to the spirit.

"So, sensei, what do you want to talk about? I know you have a reason for this…intervention." asked the Sandaime since he knew how his sensei mind worked. He would never resort to this if he didn't have a reason.

"I do." said Hashirama as his face took a serious look. "The village has fallen far, Saru. I don't blame you since you are already old and tired of the wars, and it took its toll on your when the Kyuubi attacked with your successor dying, forcing you to take the mantle of leadership again. However, as your sensei and predecessor, I ask that you fix the problem plaguing this village. Only you can fix it and it is to Naruto's advantage that you do it as soon as possible."

"Problem?" Sarutobi questioned.

"You have let the Konoha Council and the Elders dictate your decision. When I created the village with Uchiha Madara, the job of the council is to help the Hokage manage the village as its advisors. They advise you, not control your decisions and actions. You are letting your age dictate your actions, Saru. It it time to show the Council and Elders who the leader is."

"Are you sure, sensei?" asked a doubtful Sarutobi, showing everyone that despite his experience and abilities, he was still a human underneath.

"I am sure, Saru. I know that you are already thinking of assigning your student Jiraiya or Tsunade as your successor but you need to fix this problem first. I have my full trust in your, Saru."

"I see." said the Sandaime before the fire of determination appeared in his eyes. "I will do so at once, sensei. I will correct my mistakes and make you proud."

"I am already proud of you, Saru." said Hashirama as he smiled at his former student. "I need to end this connection now. Despite being a powerful shaman, Naruto is still not used to his powers. He needs to train with them in order to adapt. Farewell, Sarutobi. We will speak again soon if there is need."

With that, Hashirama exited Naruto's body before reforming once again. He stood behind his brother, both bowed to him in respect before disappearing from the room to the afterlife.

Naruto groaned and almost fell to the floor when the Sandaime strong arms held him upright. He was led to a chair where he slumped down tiredly.

"Shodaime-sama was right. My body definitely needs to adapt to my abilities as a shaman. I'm so tired." Naruto managed to say before his eyes slid shut. "I think I'll take a nap now, jiji."

The Sandaime could help but chuckle when he heard his surrogate grandson snore. He looked at the guardian spirit on Naruto's lap.

"You're going to keep an eye on him I take it?" Sarutobi asked the boy's guardian, not expecting a reply. He was surprised when the Spirit of Fire nodded before studying Naruto's face.

The Hokage nodded before calling on trusted ANBU.

"Dog." he called out as said ANBU materialized in front of him in a puff of smoke and leaves.

"You called, Hokage-sama?"

"Round up your team. I am calling an emergency council session in one hour. I want all the shinobi and civilian council, as well as the elders to attend."

"Is this about Naruto's newfound powers, Hokage-sama?"

"That and it's fine time that I clean house." Sarutobi said with a glint in his eyes that made Dog gulp.

* * *

Konoha changed overnight. The Konoha Council was called into a meeting along with the elders. The Hokage was hit by a barrage of questions regarding Naruto'a guardian spirit, the death of the mob that tried to kill Naruto, and of course, the destruction caused by Naruto's rebirth.

The Sandaime let the salvo continue until he flared his killing intent along with his chakra that practically shut everyone up. The shinobi in the council smirked when they saw the fire in the aged leader's eyes. The elders were nervous while the civilian council almost soiled their pants from the amount of malice the aged leader directed upon them.

After their silence, the Hokage lit into them like the proverbial sleeping dragon that was just woken up from its eternal slumber. He reminded the council, especially the civilians, that they were just advisers. Of course, they put up quite a stink but shut their traps when the Hokage ordered his ANBU to throw them in prison for treason if they kept it up.

The elders did the same but in a more dignified way but shut up when the Sandaime reminded Koharu and Homura that they were expendable. A threat to removing them from their permission and doing a total audit on their actions shut them up.

Danzo, of course, was totally silent during the debacle since he knew that the Sandaime just did a complete 180. This wasn't the meek Hokage they come to know after the Kyuubi attack. No, this was the Sandaime Hokage, the Professor, the Shinobi no Kami who survived two Great Shinobi Wars and came out triumphant. He kept his mouth shut but became nervous when he saw the old monkey level him a look that screamed 'I know what you're hiding'. He already made a point to clear his schedule since he knew his former teammate would have words with him soon enough.

"Now that's over and done with, let's get down to the second part of this meeting." announced Sarutobi as he opened the folder on his table. The folder contained a list of Naruto's abilities, simplified for some of the idiot council members to understand. "I think many of you are curious about the sudden appearance of the…spirit in the village?"

Everyone nodded though it was Shikaku who started the question.

"Spirit?" he asked with a raised eyebrow causing the Sandaime to nod in affirmative.

"Yes, a spirit. The giant that you saw was actually a manifestation of Naruto's bloodline. It is called the Spirit of Fire and Naruto's Guardian Spirit."

"Are you sure that…that…thing isn't the Kyuubi?" asked one of the idiot council members, recognizing the pink hair belonging to Haruno Sakuya, the leader of the merchants operating in Konoha.

"You do know that my penalty for mentioning the bijuu and Naruto in the same sentence still stands right?" Sarutobi asked rhetorically causing the paling woman to realize her mistake. "I won't have you killed since it is part of this discussion. However, I'll just remind you that the mention of Kyuubi and Naruto in a single sentence, no matter how indirect, outside these walls will rectify that oversight, clear?"

"C-Clear." Sakuya squeaked out, totally unnerved at the casual way the Sandaime mentioned her death.

"Good. To answer your question, the Spirit of Fire is NOT the Kyuubi." said the Sandaime to answer the woman's question. He turned to the shinobi council. "I think you all know what the Kyuubi's presence feels like, can you tell me if what you felt of Naruto's Guardian when it appeared in the village?"

"I don't feel any malice from Naruto's guardian, Hokage-sama, though I would like to point out that my hive is both in awe and excited of its presence." said Shibi in his usual monotone.

"Excited?" asked Tsume in disbelief. "Every dog in the compound was practically on sugar-high when it appeared. Excited is definitely a mild term to describe it."

"Alright." Sarutobi stopped the debate before it could form. He wanted to get this done as soon as possible since he has a surrogate grandson to look after in his office. "Shibi, please describe why your hive feels excited?"

Shibi was silent as he communicated with his hive. Ever so slowly, the stoic visage turned to a look of awe and disbelief.

"It is amazing, Hokage-sama. According to my hive, Naruto's guardian is considered a deity, a power that is similar to that of a god. It is considered a part of nature, or to be more precise, an aspect of nature itself, an embodiment of fire, a living flame from nature itself. My hive told me that they are not afraid of it, in fact, they are falling head over heels to worship the being."

"God? Don't you think that's a bit farfetched?" asked Inoichi, disbelief lacing his tone.

"I am only relaying what my hive tells me, Inoichi-san. I said something similar to a god, not an actual one." Shibi said a bit defensively.

Sarutobi looked at Hiashi who had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Anything you would like to share to the council, Hiashi?" he asked the stoic Hyuuga clan head.

"I observed Naruto and his…guardian as the three of you flew to the tower, Hokage-sama. I can easily say that no chakra was used whatsoever between the two." Hiashi replied. He saw the questioning looks directed at him by his colleagues causing him to explain further. "The Byakugan allows me to see both chakra and a person's chakra network. We all know that chakra is a combination of both physical and spiritual energy, correct?"

"Get on with it already, troublesome Hyuuga." Shikaku said in a fit of annoyance. As a head of a clan that prized information, he didn't like it when people beat around the bush concerning something so important.

"If you let me finish then I'll tell you." Hiashi said in annoyance. "To continue, chakra is mostly colored blue and individual affinities tend to change a person's chakra corresponding their elements, fire is red, water is blue, lightning is purple, and so on. When I used my Byakugan on Naruto, I saw that his coils were flooded with white that is associated with spiritual energy. The guardian spirit is a combination of white and red, spiritual energy and the element of fire."

Sarutobi nodded, agreeing with the man's discovery since it coincided with Naruto's explanation of his…bloodline.

"Hiashi is correct. Naruto's bloodline requires only the spiritual energy of chakra. It manifested when the mob," he spat as he glared at the nervous civilian council. "attacked him while under extreme depression when the boy found out that he can't mold chakra. According to Naruto, his ancestor visited him while in a trance and informed him of his abilities as a shaman."

"Shaman!" Tsume exclaimed. "Did I hear that right? Naruto is a shaman?"

"Yes, he is a shaman according to his ancestor's spirit."

"Do you have the name of this…ancestor?" Tsume asked immediately, a nervous yet excited hint to her tone. "Did Naruto get his name?"

Sarutobi turned to the folder and confirmed what was written.

"According to Naruto, the name of the spirit that visited him was Asakura Hao."

"Shit. I can't believe the old tales were real." Tsume exclaimed excitedly causing everyone to look at her as if she was crazy.

"What tales? Please share them with us, Tsume. Any information, especially history, about this is greatly appreciated."

Tsume took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"You all know that my clan is deeply connected to canines, right?" she asked the council causing everyone to nod while Shikaku waved at her to continue. "Well, according to Inuzuka lore. Before the shinobi world came to be, my ancestors was part of a larger clan that worshipped the spirits, animal spirits to be exact. In the past, shamans roamed the land that was said to be the bridge between the world of the living and the world of the spirits. They had all sorts of abilities that many of us would deem as godly, giving them the power to converse with spirits, allowing the spirits to possess them to communicate with the living, use the spirits as weapons – destroying armies, and healing the sick. Our most ancient of texts described a tournament of sorts held every 500 years millennia ago though it is no longer in practice when the shamans disappeared from the world. This tournament is fought by various shamans with the winner given the power to wield the ultimate guardian spirit that governed the spirit world – the Great Spirit."

"So where does this…Asakura Hao comes in?" asked one of the council members who had a greedy glint in his eyes. The shinobi council and elders saw it and made a note to keep an eye on the man just in case he made a move on Naruto. They already considered the boy an asset to the village, other than being a jinchuuriki. With his newfound abilities, he was definitely a prize they would protect at all cost.

"The winner of the last tournament was named Asakura Hao and was said to be the most powerful shaman in the world. If he is the gaki's ancestor then he is practically more powerful, if not, on par with Hao." Tsume told the council to their shock. She then realized something. "Holy shit. I just remembered. The Spirit of Fire is actually a part of the Great Spirit and embodies the aspect of destruction. The Spirit of Fire was Hao's guardian spirit due to his power. If it is Naruto's guardian now then the gaki is definitely a descendant of Hao. There's no mistaking it."

Whispers were being traded as the various council members tried to wrap their minds around the fact that the village pariah, the holder of Kyuubi, was in command of one of the most powerful forces in nature. It was ironic that he has the Spirit of Fire considering Konoha's motto of the 'Will of Fire'.

"Naruto definitely don't do things by half, doesn't he?" Sarutobi said with a chuckle before looking at Tsume who was acting like a fangirl. "Tsume, is it possible to borrow these…history books about shamans if you can spare them?"

Tsume shook her head, shocking everyone for disobeying someone an Inuzuka considers an Alpha in the village.

"I can't lend you the books, Hokage-sama, but I'll be more than happy to make copies for you. I can't part with the original since it is one of our clan's most guarded heirloom." she explained causing the Hokage to nod in understanding.

"Understandable. Please have the copies delivered to me as soon as possible, Tsume. It would be a great help to Naruto to understand his abilities."

"What do you mean? I thought he already knows about his abilities?" Chouza asked nervously.

"He does but only those practiced by his ancestor. However, Naruto was not imparted with the history of shamans so he needs all the background information he could get his hands on though I doubt he would need it since he can easily converse with the spirits."

"You mean he already demonstrated Hyoi Gattai?" Tsume asked immediately.

"Yes, I think that was the technique he used. How come you are familiar with it?" Sarutobi asked curiously.

"It's in the Inuzuka history book, Hokage-sama. Shamans have the ability to see and talk to spirits but in order for the spirit to interact with the physical world, it is necessary for the shaman to take the spirit into themselves. According to the lore, the technique is called Hyoi Gattai."

"Ah. He did say that technique before he was possessed by Hashirama-sensei."

"WHAT?" was the general reaction of everyone upon hearing the Shodaime's name.

"Hashirama-sensei and Tobirama-sensei entered my office according to Naruto. With permission, Naruto used his technique to sync with Hashirama-sensei and we had a little talk." said the aged leader, his facing showing happiness for being able to speak to one he considered a father figure.

"Are you sure he wasn't faking it, Hokage-sama?" asked Danzo though immediately regretted it when Tsume and Sarutobi leveled him a glare.

"He was speaking in Hashirama-sensei's voice, he used a term of endearment that he only uses in private that I'm sure Naruto doesn't know since he has no idea that I can summon Enma." Sarutobi said dryly, annoyed at the fact that Danzo was being his usual paranoid self.

"You better watch yourself, Danzo. I don't like it when you make a mockery of Naruto-sama." Tsume growled, baring her canines at the one-eyed warhawk.

"Naruto-sama?" the Sandaime asked the one in amusement causing Tsume to blush.

"For us Inuzuka, shamans are revered above everything else. It was a shaman that gave us the ability to form bonds with canines. Since Naruto-sama is a proven shaman then he has the Inuzuka's respect." the Inuzuka matriarch declared proudly before leveling her full glare at the nervous civilian council. "If the civilians attack Naruto-sama again, the Inuzuka clan will be there to make you wish you were never born."

"This is troublesome." said Shikaku. "I vote that we place Uzumaki Naruto under the Shinobi Council's protection under the Konoha Charter."

Sarutobi coughed, catching everyone's attention.

"Before we put that into vote, I would like to inform everyone that Naruto requested for a name change. He wants to change his name to Asakura Naruto in honor of his new status as a shaman and to bring back the legacy of his ancestors."

"I have no problem with that." said Tsume with a feral grin. He couldn't wait to go back to her clan and inform them of this development.

"Alright. Let's put this into vote. All in favor for the name change, please raise your hand." He was surprised when all the shinobi council and most of the civilians council members raised their hands. "Majority wins. From this day forward, Naruto will now be known as Asakura Naruto. Now, the vote for placing Naruto under…" the entirety of the shinobi council raised their hands causing the Hokage to smirk. "Alright, that answer that question."

"Hey, we didn't agree with that." said Sakuya angrily.

"Your view on the matter is not needed, Haruno-san." Shibi said with some heat causing everyone to look at him incredulously. The Aburame clan wasn't know to display emotions and the clan head just displayed it twice in a row. "According to the village charter, only the Shinobi Council can vote when someone is placed under shinobi protection."

"Shibi is right. If Naruto is to be placed under shinobi protection then only shinobi can vote." said Inoichi with uncharacteristic smugness. He never liked the civilian council since they were trying to undermine the Hokage's rule. This was a flick to their nose and he relished it.

"That settles it. Naruto will be placed under shinobi protection from this day onwards. Any attack directed at Naruto will result in the military taking actions against the perpetrators." Sarutobi informed the council though this was mainly addressed to the civilian side. He was about to continue when Koharu raised her hand. "Yes, Honorable Elder?"

"I would like to pass a motion for Naruto to be placed under the boundaries of the Clan Restoration Act." Koharu declared. This declaration caused the civilian council to smirk.

"And why do you propose such a thing, Elder Koharu?" Sarutobi asked with a raised eyebrow. He already expected this to happen and already have a counter in place.

"We gathered from the revelation that shamans are powerful. If we get Naruto under the CRA then it would increase the number of shamans in Konoha. This ability of his is considered a bloodline, is it not?"

"Yes, it is considered a bloodline but placing the boy under CRA at this point in time is not only useless, but also stupid as well." Sarutobi said smugly.

"I don't find it useless." Koharu retorted with some heat.

"Aside from the fact that you are promoting cradle robbing," this caused most the shinobi council to snicker though Tsume was laughing her head off. "CRA is purely voluntary and only Naruto can request for that before we can put it to vote. If he does then I don't mind approving it."

"Fine." Koharu said with a huff, paling at the idea of being labeled a cradle robber considering her age.

"Does this mean Asakura-san will be again enrolled in the shinobi program?" Danzo asked, using the right honorific for the newly-revealed shaman since he didn't want to get on the Inuzuka's bad side.

"That is his choice though considering his abilities, I doubt being a shinobi would be his calling. It would only hinder him in that regard." Sarutobi mused.

"Why do you say that?" asked Danzo in curiosity.

"Let me put it into perspective. You have here a reborn shaman in command of a powerful guardian entity considered as an aspect of nature that embodies destruction placed in a Genin cell. Not only would Konoha be the laughing stock of the Elemental Nations, it would be overkill to put him with a group that would surely be below him in terms of abilities. Being placed with a team would spark jealously since Naruto's abilities would definitely overshadow everyone else." Sarutobi pointed out causing everyone to nod and Danzo to agree. "However, if Naruto permits, I will be placing him under a specialized training program and offer him a position in the village."

"What position is that?" was Danzo's immediately reaction.

"That is for me to know and for you to find out." Sarutobi said with a grin that infuriated his one-eyed colleague.

* * *

**End of chapter 2. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM if you have suggestions or corrections.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Three chapters in one sitting, I'm beat. Here's chapter 3 and the last one for tonight. Expect more tomorrow. Enjoy!**

**Oh yeah, don't expect any pairings as of yet. It's still too early to think of one. Also, this is NOT a yaoi story. Powerful Naruto, yes. Yaoi, no. **

**Also, Naruto's personality would be a mix of Hao and Yoh, mixing to form something totally new. He will be manipulative, slightly sadistic, totally intelligent, laidback and carefree, and very protective of those precious to him. Also, don't expect a goody goody Naruto in this story since that would just go against Hao's personality. Lols. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King**

* * *

**Chapter 3: What a Shaman Can Do**

Naruto yawned as he stretched, wincing a bit as his muscles protested the action. He didn't know how long he slept but the strain from allowing the Shodaime to possess him was gone. He shouldn't have doubted his body's ability to adapt since he was always a fast healer.

He groggily looked around to realize that he fell asleep inside the Hokage Office. He looked down on his lap to see his guardian spirit (GS) sitting contentedly on his lap. He was quite surprised that the Spirit of Fire (SoF) was still in oversoul (OS) mode considering how large the Furyoku requirement was to keep his GF solid in the physical world. He thanked the spirits that Hao instilled the knowledge of the Asakura shamans into his head or he would be fumbling in the dark concerning his abilities.

"Hey, you want me to end the OS?" Naruto asked his GS. He knew that the SoF didn't have the ability to talk and his ancestor never really treated the aspect as if it was a living being. Well, Hao did but it was more along the line of a weapon than an actual guardian. He saw the GS shook its head, appearing content in keeping its form active for a while longer. Naruto shrugged.

"If you insist." he said before patting the chibified OS on the head as he started to plan.

Naruto realized that he needs to make plans to return the path of shamans into the world. He knew, for a fact, that the world was all about balance, the cycle of Yin and Yang. If he manifested his shamanic abilities then it was quite possible that some would be seeing spirits soon enough. It would be unfair to leave the new shamans alone and he knew how hard it was to learn shamanic abilities without a proper teacher.

Such was the case; Naruto decided that he needed a new place to call home and possibly turn a part of it into a school of sorts for the new shamans that he knew would be cropping up sometime soon.

"Might as well get started." murmured Naruto as he grabbed SoF from his lap and placed the GS on his stood up from the chair and made his way to the shelf where his jiji kept some documents about Konoha.

It took a while for him to find a map of the village. He liberated the map from its home before making his way to the Hokage's desk and opened it. Thankfully, the map was labeled accordingly so he knew which was which.

"Hm, if I want to set up shop then I need a place that is quiet, a bit secluded since I don't want the noise of the village to introduce upon my privacy, and a place where natural Furyoku is at its highest since I want to start making my tools for divination." he murmured absentmindedly as he studied the map. He didn't notice when the Sandaime entered the office, surprised that this charge was already awake and concentrating something on his table. He noticed the boy was so engrossed over something that he didn't notice him enter. He walked over to the long-haired blonde to see that he was perusing a map of Konoha.

"Looking for something, Naruto-kun?" he asked, startling the boy.

"Jiji! You startled me." Naruto accused the aged leader who chuckled.

"Yes, I can see that." said the Hokage before going around the table and taking his seat. "Why are you studying the map so intently?"

"Well, I'm looking for a place to set up a home for me." Naruto said with a shrugged as he started looking at the map again.

"You already have an apartment." the Sandaime pointed out.

"I know but it's too small, jiji. Besides, I need a bigger space to set up a school for new shamans."

"New shamans?" asked the Sandaime in surprise causing Naruto to nod.

"The world is all about balance, jiji." explained Naruto as he tapped his head. "The entire knowledge of Asakura shamanic practice is right here in my head. Since I manifested my ancestor's abilities, the world will surely balance it out by granting some with shamanic powers as well. I know how hard it is to discover the ability by yourself so I'm thinking of setting up shop somewhere that I can consider a home, as well as open a school of sorts to hold classes for new shamans. Besides, I need a place to practice my art without space or the villagers hindering me."

"Art?" the Hokage asked in confusion.

"Shamans are not limited to conversing with spirits, jiji. Above everything else, shamans are the medium of the spirit world and the living world. Shamans, aside from exorcising evil spirits, we also have abilities for healing and divination. I know how to make the tools but I need a place to house and use them in peace." Naruto explained to his surrogate grandfather.

"What do you mean divination? Is this about predicting the future." asked somewhat dubious Hokage.

"It is more than that." Naruto said with a smile. "The future is a fickle thing and there is no way to accurately predict the future unless the spirits relinquish the information. Shamanic divination is different. For example, I can divine a place if it is a good spot for business or I can divine a house to make it more auspicious for a family to live in. I can also help divine areas to set up protections or barriers for a bountiful harvest, stop harmful spirits from entering, or even call on good spirits to bless the village."

"Amazing." Sarutobi breathed out, his mind already going a mile a minute on the possibilities of such abilities Naruto possessed. He would definitely support the boy and he knew the council wouldn't raise up fuss over it. "What are your requirements for a clan house, Naruto-kun?"

"Clan house?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"I just finished a meeting with the council and I corrected the problem Hashirama-sensei informed me about. Anyway, your name change has been approved so you are now an Asakura as you requested and, with the blessing of the council, you can start your own clan here in Konoha. We can't give you clan head status due to your age but that will come in time so there is no rush."

"I'm not planning on making babies anytime soon, jiji." Naruto deadpanned causing the Sandaime to blush.

"Aren't you too young to know about that?" the Hokage accused the smirking blonde.

"Let me remind you that I have the Asakura family knowledge in my head so that involves the birds and bees. You are spared from giving me 'The Talk' that I know you're dreading" Naruto said with a smirk as he sensed the uneasiness and nervousness in the man's heart thanks to his Reishi "Anyway, I don't mind the clan thing since I plan to jumpstart the Asakura family here in Konoha. However, if I do find people with shamanic abilities, can you make it so that they become a part of the clan?"

"I don't think that would be a problem though there is a restriction. You can only adopt a person into your clan if they don't have a family and with their permission."

Naruto shrugged.

"That's alright. I don't want to separate them from their families. Anyway, regarding the requirement, I need a spacious area surrounded by nature, possibly a place where wildlife is plentiful and away from the noise."

"Why do you need such a place?"

"Furyoku, or spiritual energy, is needed for my art to work. I need a place where nature is abundant so there are large amounts of Furyoku available for me. I sense that Konoha is teeming with spiritual energy thanks to all the trees in the area so that's not a problem. However, I definitely need a place where I won't be disturbed." explained Naruto before an area in the map caught his eye. It was the perfect place to put up a home and it was definitely auspicious enough for his plans. "What is this area here, jiji?" he asked the Hokage while indicating the area with his finger causing the aged leader to pale.

"I can give you any area you wish except that place, Naruto-kun."

"Why?"

"That area is called Training Ground 44 or what our shinobi call the Forest of Death. That forest was created by the Hashirama-sensei using his Mokuton. Due to the large amounts of ambient chakra in that forest, the animals have grown quite large. Hell, even the snakes there are as big as summon animals. I don't want to expose you to that kind of danger."

Naruto smirked before pointing at his GS on his shoulder who was looking at the map as well.

"Jiji, I have my guardian here and I think we all know for a fact that he can protect me." Naruto said with a grin. "Besides, I'm a fully trained shaman with ties to nature. I don't think animals would be a problem."

"I'm not so sure if that is a good idea." the Hokage said dubiously.

"I'll prove it if you give me a chance." Naruto challenged causing the old man to sigh and give in to the boy's request. Besides, it would be nice to see what Naruto was capable of.

"Fine. I'll bring you there later." He promised.

"Thanks. So…do you think you can lend me a hand in setting up a clan house there, jiji?"

"I can't give you any money, Naruto-kun, but I can lend you one of my shinobi to help you out."

"Eh? How can a shinobi help?"

"This shinobi has the ability to use Mokuton and one of his techniques allows him to make a house from scratch."

"I definitely want to see him make a house for me." Naruto said in excitement making the Sandaime chuckle. "So when can we go to this…forest?"

"It's already past midnight so why don't I take you there before lunch. I have some documents I need to finish to finalize your name change, as well as your new status as a shaman in the village. The council also placed you under shinobi protection so you don't have to worry about mobs attacking you again."

"Well, I'm not really worried about them anymore." said Naruto with grin. "But being in your protection is definitely welcome so thank you, jiji."

"It was a pleasure, Naruto-kun. Why don't you come by again an hour before lunch. We'll grab something to eat at Ichiraku before going to the forest. I hope you don't mind if I bring some of my ANBU with us."

Naruto shrugged.

"I don't mind, jiji. Will Dog be there?"

"Of course since he is part of your protection detail. I'll bring the shinobi I promised to set up your clan house."

"Great. I think I'll head home for some sleep." said Naruto as he sent a mental command his GS. Nodding its head, the SoF went outside via the window with Naruto following. He stopped by the window before looking at his surrogate grandfather from over his shoulder. "See you later, jiji." he told the man before jumping out.

The Sandaime paled when he saw his surrogate grandson jump out of the window. Shinobi could do that but a 5-year old without training couldn't, shaman or not. He immediately looked out the window to see Naruto being held aloft by a larger version of his GS.

"Let me show you one of my abilities, jiji." said Naruto before flaring his Furyoku. _**"Oversoul: Spirit of Fire: Kurobina!"**_

The Sandaime was surprised when the SoF burst into flames before surrounding Naruto's exposed body. The flames solidified to form something a black armor with two pillars on his back. The lower part of the armor had SoF's arm and clawed hand, and a protrusion like a tail. Naruto was now floating unassisted just outside the window.

"This is what I call, Kurobina, an armor OS when I merge with SoF, giving me the ability of flight. This is also a powerful version of SoF and doesn't take a lot of my energy to manifest. The twin pillars on my back are cannons that can fire powerful beams of intense heat, hotter than that of magma." Naruto explained before turning towards the direction of his apartment complex. "See you at lunch, jiji."

With a burst of speed, Naruto flew away from the Hokage Tower leaving a Sandaime Hokage sporting a headache.

* * *

Naruto couldn't help but stare at the large trees as he and his group stood outside the fence of Training Ground 44.

"Why such a large fence, jiji?" asked Naruto in curiosity. He didn't have SoF around since he had this gut feeling that he won't be needing his GS. Besides, he didn't want SoF to burn his potential home before he could set things up, danger or no.

"As I told you last night, the Forest of Death is filled to the brim with nature chakra thanks to the Shodaime's Mokuton. The animals that lived there absorbed the ambient chakra that enhanced their size, strength, and speed. You might say that they evolved if you want to be technical about it." explained the Hokage as he gestured for Dog to open the gate. Everyone entered with the ANBU forming a protective ring around the duo.

They walked for half an hour before they were surrounded by large tigers and snakes. The ANBU and the Hokage were immediately at defensive but Naruto shook them out of that.

"I'll take care of this, jiji." said Naruto as he placed a ram seal over his chest. The animals must have sensed what he was about to do when all of them attacked at once. _**"Omnyoudou Mahou: Shikigami!"**_

The leaves on the forest floor floated up before they took form. As if on command, the hundreds of Shikigamis intercepted the attacks and proceeded to tackle the gigantic animals and throwing them back without effort. The Sandaime and the ANBU team gaped at him in shock causing Naruto to chuckle.

"You've seen nothing yet." said Naruto as he took out two rectangular papers from his pocket. He stayed up for an hour last night to create the seals so he could summon Hao's protectors before he gained the SoF. He threw the fudas as his Furyoku surged. _**"Omyoudou Mahou: Oni Kyoudai!"**_

The fudas transformed into two large ogre-like constructs that towered over the giant animals of the forest. The two were huge, one red and one blue. They landed causing a mild earthquake to form due to their combined weight. The two growled as they took defensive stances against the animals.

"Zenki, Gouki. Protect!" Naruto barked causing the two to immediately make a path by punching or throwing the animals that blocked their master's path. Naruto continued his walk as his shikigamis swatted the attackers aside. The Hokage and his ANBU details gaped at the enormity of what just happened before following Naruto and the protection of his summons.

"What are they?" the Cat-masked ANBU asked in awe.

"They are my protectors, the Oni Kyodai Zenki and Kouki. They are my personal guards so to speak." Naruto answered as he studied the forest while ignoring the destruction the two were causing. He was listening to the whispers of the trees, leading him to a perfect spot for his clan house.

"I thought the giant you flew with last night was your personal guard." Cat pointed out causing some of the ANBU to nod in agreement, their eyes not leaving the two…guards forming a perimeter around them.

"SoF is my personal spirit, these two are mere guards that I summoned using the tags I made. Besides, using SoF here is counterproductive since his attacks are fire-based. I don't want to burn down my future home because I need protection." He said dryly. Sure, SoF was a powerful guardian but not perfect.

"Are you sure you want to set up shop here, Naruto-kun? As you can see, the forest is filled to the brim with predators and even you would be hard-pressed to defend against them."

Naruto chuckled as he pulled out a stack of fudas before showing one of them to the group.

"I know. This is why I brought these." Naruto showed them one of the fudas who had a drawing on its face. "These are called defensive fudas. I will set it up around the area where I want to put up my home. Once activated, it will erect a solid barrier powered by the ambient energy in the air. Nothing will get in without my permission."

"Amazing. So it can stop anything?" Dog asked in amazement.

"Well, not everything. I need something more than paper to stop something more powerful than animals on steroids." Naruto joked. "Besides, once my house is done, I will set up a more permanent protection. Anyone with ill-intent towards me would not be able to cross the threshold of my compound. I will also have spirits guarding the surrounding area to…discourage eavesdroppers and invaders. Besides, considering how my status as a shaman is now spread around the village, I will expect quite a lot of unwanted visitors from within and some outsiders. The defensive barrier I plan to set up will definitely give them something to think about before trying it again." He said the last part with a sadistic grin on his face that scared the group.

The group walked in silence, no longer afraid of attacks thanks to their gigantic bodyguards.

"So, Naruto-kun, do you have a specific place in mind for your new clan house?" asked the Sandaime as Naruto shrugged.

"The spirits of the forest are telling me that there is a large clearing a few kilometers aheads of us. They informed me that it is big enough for what I have in mind." Naruto answered.

"You can talk to trees?" the Sandaime asked, his head couldn't grasp the concept of a shaman talking to trees. Trees don't talk, period.

"Well, talk is not an accurate term to use in this scenario, jiji." said Naruto as he patted the trunk of a rather thick tree and feeling its happiness for being acknowledged. "Trees are living beings and each one of them has a spirit. As a shaman, I am attuned to the spirits of nature, allowing me to communicate with them. They don't talk to me, per se, but they communicate in another way…something along the line of impression rather than vocal communication."

"Hm, so you are saying that they show you images?" Sarutobi asked in confirmation.

"Exactly." Naruto agreed though it was far from the truth. It was hard to explain the concept of nature to someone not well versed in the shamanic arts. "Anyway, we shouldn't be far from the place now."

An hour later, the group found themselves in a large clearing that could easily house the five Hokage Tower with ease.

"Sandaime-sama, this is the unmapped portion of the Forest of Death." Dog informed the Sandaime, his voice in awe since this was the first time they stepped foot in the fabled S-class sector of Training Ground 44. No one, not even Anko who made the forest a home, was able to venture out this far without getting killed and they practically strolled to get here without worries.

"I know. I sent a few of your comrades here before after the Third Great Shinobi War to map the place out but they couldn't reach these area. They aborted before they could even step foot at the boundary line." the Sandaime said dryly before turning to Naruto who was grinning like a loon. "I take it this is the place?"

"You bet. This place is perfect." Naruto exclaimed happily. "So, who's the guy with the Mokuton?"

The Sandaime and the ANBU pointed at a rather nervous masked individual at the rear of the group.

"My name is Tenzou, Asakura-sama." Tenzou introduced himself.

"Asakura-sama? Where in the world did that come from?" Naruto asked, confused at the honorific.

"You just took us to the legendary area here in the Forest of Death with ease that would make our ANBU Commander drool in envy. You deserve the respect, Asakura-sama." Tenzou replied with a grin behind his mask, enjoying the annoyed look on the young shaman's face.

Naruto sighed before fishing out a folded paper from his pocket and handing it to a confused Yamato.

"What's this?"

"That's the blue print and drawing of my clan house. Since the Hokage told me that you can make a wooden house with your Mokuton, it is only right that I give you something to work with." Naruto said cheekily before pulling out his defensive fudas. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to set up the barrier so we won't have to worry about the animals turning us into dinner. Zenki, Kouki, keep everyone safe." He ordered his shikigami guards as he started placing the fudas on the trees around the clearing and activating them to set up the initial barrier to keep the unwanted animals out.

Yamato watched Naruto's retreating back before looking at the complicated drawing of a clan house in his hands. He sighed causing those who heard him to snicker.

"Well, what are you waiting for Tenzou-kun, start building." Dog joked.

"I hope you have some soldier pills handy, sempai. This is going to drain me dry before I could get this done." Tenzou said dryly as he started the hand seals for his Mokuton jutsu. He was going to demand a vacation after this job.

* * *

**End of chapter 3. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM me if you have suggestions or stuff that needs correcting.**


	4. Chapter 4

**My apologies to my readers. I forgot to include the Uchiha Clan in chapter 2. I'll edit it in the future. (The Uchiha Massacre hasn't happened…not yet at least).**

**Thanks to those who sent me a PM regarding some mistakes. Already made the changes in the previous chapters. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King. **

* * *

**Chapter 4: Making a Name**

A 9-year old Naruto nodded respectfully to passing merchant as he casually made his way to the Hokage Tower for a meeting with the Sandaime.

It has been a year and a half since his status as a shaman was spread throughout the village. There were quite a few who were skeptical about the whole thing (being the container of the Kyuubi didn't help his popularity) but it was easily remedied when he allowed the spirits of their relatives to possess him and telling them things that he shouldn't know.

His clan house was finished in two days after finding the clearing in the S-class sector in Training Ground 44. Tenzou could have finished it in a day (thanks to Naruto supplying him with energy using his innate knowledge of Chou Senji Ryakketsu) but Naruto was adamant that he take a rest.

Besides, he was planning to set up a permanent barrier around the clearing and he wasn't comfortable doing so in front of a crowd. They might not be shamans but they were shinobi – they were trained to be observant and Naruto had no plans broadcasting his techniques to the world.

He also set up a path so anyone can go to his new home without getting eaten by the predators. He made a map for the Hokage and Dog since they were more than welcome to visit anytime they wished.

When his new home was finished, Tenzou happily made a few furniture for him since the place was too large and too empty to ignore. Tables, beds, and cabinets were immediately created and the ANBU team was commandeered by the Hokage to bring them into the house. Naruto made a few hundred Shikigamis to help. If the small leaf spirits were strong enough to tackle the denizens of the forest then they were strong enough to carry furniture.

While the ANBU team was busy being interior decorators, the Sandaime took Naruto to a shop in the village that didn't hate Naruto's guts. He financed Naruto to get started with his new library since the newly-awakened shaman wanted to transcribe his knowledge into paper as soon as possible. If a new shaman pops up then he would definitely need books to keep them educated.

After all, he didn't want to coddle them by spoon feeding them information. If they want to be powerful shamans then they would have to work for it.

Anyway, Naruto bought a lot of blank scrolls and books, boxes of inks and spare brushes, blank tags used for fuuinjutsu but could be used as fuda since it was of exceptional quality, and some blank papers for his notes and what-not.

He also bought clothes since he wanted something more refined. He bought a set of formal kimonos for special functions, casual pants and shirts for traveling, and a custom-made silver poncho. He saw in his memory that Hao looked cool wearing a poncho so he definitely needed to have one.

They exited the store with Naruto already wearing his new poncho, the blonde shaman dragged the Hokage to the nearest bookstore for basic books on chakra. When questioned why he needed such books, Naruto answered that he wanted to know how different chakra was with spiritual energy. After all, the students he take in might want to be shinobi shamans in the future, at least he could explain the two energies to his students if it happens.

When the shopping was done, Naruto created a few shikigamis to bring the purchases to his new home. He was inwardly smug at seeing the disbelieving looks from the villagers when they saw his shikigamis floating behind him like a funeral procession, carrying bags and boxes without a care in the world. However, he find it weird to see looks of amazement and disbelief from the villagers compared to the usual glares of hatred or disgust.

With his clan house done, secluded himself in his home two months since he was busy making his divination tools from scratch and putting the Asakura shamanic knowledge in his head to paper. It took six months to finish everything but it was a worthwhile chore.

Another two months was spent 'rediscovering' his abilities using the knowledge his ancestors crammed into his head. Thankfully, he had Hao's entire lexicon of Chou Senji Ryakketsu in his head to supplement the other Asakura techniques and abilities. Not only did it make him stronger, it made his techniques more potent.

His shamanic abilities were stronger than ever but his physical skills sucks. He knew from his memories that Asakura Hao was a great taijutsu master on top of his omnyoudou. Naruto had the knowledge but actual practice was nonexistent. Such was the case, Naruto spent four months training his body to accommodate Hao's complicated taijutsu style – the Seireiken or the Elemental Spirit Fist.

With his physical training at a level he could be happy with, Naruto exited his home for the first time in 8 months to meet with his surrogate grandfather. The Sandaime also compiled a list of jobs for him to do which served two purposes.

One, it would broadcast his abilities as a shaman, thus eliminating the doubts hanging in the air. And two, to jumpstart the Asakura coffers since he practically owned the Hokage some money after that shopping stint.

Naruto didn't mind the work since he was bored and he wanted to use his shaman abilities to cement his status in the village.

Most of his first jobs were for the shinobi military, specifically those who had unfinished business with their dead friends and relatives.

His first session was with Dog who requested his services to contact his sensei, the Yondaime Hokage, Rin, and Obito from the other side. This was partially successful.

He easily contacted Rin and allowed her to possess his body so Kakashi could apologize for killing her.

The Yondaime couldn't be contacted since the seal he used against the Kyuubi ensured that he would be eaten by the Shinigami and there was no way for Naruto to directly coerce the Avatar of Death to relinquish his hold on such his soul. (Yes, Naruto already know of the Kyuubi sealed inside him since some of the shinobi who died during the Kyuubi attacked told him about it much to the Sandaime's consternation).

However, the shocker came when he told Dog that Obito was alive since he couldn't find a trace of the man in the afterlife. Dog thanked him profusely and was paid an A-rank mission for this.

Thanks to Dog, his abilities were spread throughout the shinobi ranks and he had quite a lot of clients wanting to get in touch with their loved ones. In a span of four months, Naruto now had a bank account with millions of ryo to jumpstart his holdings.

He also had a few projects sponsored directly by the Hokage. The jobs include blessing farmlands for better crops (Konoha had a surplus of agricultural products since that year and was now exporting to the outlying villages), exorcising spirits (who knew that Konoha had a lot of them), and erecting a barrier around the village to stop evil spirits from entering the village.

Speaking of evil spirits, Naruto was somewhat shocked to discover that the Elemental Nations were plagued with mysterious happenings that were spiritual in origin. They were relatively ignored since such happenings were blamed on shinobi and their jutsus.

This led to a crash course about recognizing spirits to the shinobi ranks so they could report such problems in the future and for Naruto to act on such reports so he could get rid of the problem before they grow out of control.

The last big job was at Fire Country capital. He was contracted by the Fire Daimyo to erect a barrier around the palace since a lot of weird things were happening. Naruto easily found the problem - spirits of the past advisers were hanging around making a mess of things. Even in death, politicians never leave their seat of power. He exorcised the spirits and erected a barrier around the Daimyo's home to stop the spirits hanging around the capital from tormenting him and his family.

He was paid quite handsomely for that job and Naruto wouldn't mind doing it again if given a chance.

It didn't take him long get to his destination and his gut was screaming at him that something was about to happen on a grand scale. The spirits were restless and he picked up on their anxiety easily. He entered the aged leaders office to see him pouring over a report with a worried frown on his face.

"Good afternoon, jiji." Naruto greeted the Hokage with a nod before sitting on a chair in front of the leader's desk.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Naruto-kun, but I need your services over something that concerns the village." the Sandaime said seriously causing Naruto to frown.

"I sensed something large is about to happen but I don't know what. What seems to be the problem, jiji?"

"I want you to divine what the Uchiha are planning." the aged leader requested seriously.

"Eh? What did the Uchiha do now?" Naruto asked in exasperation. He never did like the Uchiha that he dubbed as 'the red-eyed bastards'. Quite a few of them had their Sharingan active as he performed some of his basic techniques in the public. He smugly smirked at them since he knew there was no way for them to copy it no matter how much they tried.

"I am receiving reports from my spy within their ranks that they are planning something big. So far, my spy hasn't been able to get exact details other than the fact that they are holding clan meetings more frequently than usual."

"That's…disturbing." Naruto frowned, taking out his Tessen from his sleeve and opening it easily with a casual flick of his wrist. He fanned himself slowly, a habit he acquired when he was thinking something deep, his eyes glazing as he spread his mind to converse with the spirits in the surrounding area.

Sarutobi was silent as he watched his grandson go into a trance. He recognized the glazed look on the boy's eyes, an indication that he was currently conversing with whatever spirits within range. It was fifteen minutes later that Naruto exited his meditation with a large frown on his face which alarmed the Hokage since he knew that the revelation would be nothing but bad news.

"Bad news, jiji." warned Naruto as he snapped his Tessen close in agitation and a hint of anger.

"What did you divine?" Sarutobi asked immediately.

"The Uchiha are planning a coup. Right now, your spy, a weasel-masked ANBU, is on his way here after killing an Uchiha when he was found out, a best friend I believe. He will be appearing in five seconds." said Naruto as he turned his head to his side. As predicted, Weasel appeared in a puff of smoke and leaves, kneeling in front of the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I bring you…" he stopped when he noticed Naruto looking at him seriously. "Asakura-sama. I didn't know you were here."

Naruto simply nodded to the ANBU before turning to the Hokage.

"I'll be leaving, jiji. I think Weasel would be more informative in this regard than I do though I am quite sure that his report would compliment what I told you before he arrived." Naruto told the worried Hokage before turning to Weasel who was feeling determined and resigned as if a decision has been made and there was nothing he could do about it. "Weasel-san, for what you are about to do, please know that someone here in Konoha wouldn't look at you in hate. If you need my help, let the Hokage know. He will direct you to me."

With a bow of respect towards the two, Naruto stood up from his chair and exited the office without a word.

"It's quite creepy when he does that." said Weasel with a shiver. He knew for a fact that the shaman's eyes were looking deep into his soul. His words were cryptic but it filled him with courage and determination for what lay ahead. If anything else, a shaman to help him in the future was a boon that he wouldn't pass up if needed.

"What do you expect from a shaman?" the Sandaime asked rhetorically before his eyes took on a steely glint. "Report."

Weasel gave his report, each words weighing heavily on the Hokage. It would seem that Naruto was right, the Uchiha was definitely planning a coup and it would start with an assassination attempt – him and the Elders were the initial target. He listened attentively to Weasel's information when he remembered what Naruto said to the kneeling ANBU.

"…_for what you are about to do, please know that someone here in Konoha wouldn't look at you in hate."_

The Sandaime Hokage sighed. Trust the boy to give hints about the future. Yes, it was true that prophecy and divining the future was a tricky subject but the aged leader knew that spirits tend to share some information to the boy since he was quite likeable. It didn't help that Naruto was a powerful shaman that made spirits respect him more.

"I am calling in the Elders. I already know what to do but it is always a good idea to have a second opinion." declared the Sandaime before sending off Weasel to bring the Elders to his office. "I think I'll bring Danzo into this. ROOT would be a big help in quelling the repercussions if things continue as it is."

* * *

Naruto watched the massacre unfold from his perch on top of a large tree in the Uchiha District. Weasel, or Uchiha Itachi, was killing his clan. He could feel the adamantine determination and resignation that gripped Itachi's heart as he spilled the blood of his family, targeting both the guilty and innocent with brutal efficiency.

The lone Asakura knew the sacrifice Itachi was doing for the sake of the village. Naruto understood the price the Hokage, the Elders, and Itachi has to pay for upsetting the balance. Thousands of voices, both innocent and judged, cried out to the shaman as if expecting for him to act. He didn't heed the voice since this was was a necessity to save more lives. If the Uchiha had their way, Konoha would become a haven of death and destruction, and if push comes to shove, Naruto would burn the village to the ground before the Uchiha arrogance could take root.

No, Naruto would have none of that so he didn't go against what was happening right now in front of him. The massacre would continue with his blessings.

Naruto already sent his GF into the compound, devouring the souls of the perpetrators while sparing the innocent. Of course, he had to cloak his GF in an invisibility spell of Hao's design so his part in the massacre would stay in secret. He face saddened when he saw Itachi subject his brother to the powerful genjutsu his evolved Sharingan granted him, resulting in his brother screaming before slumping to the ground like a puppet without its strings.

* * *

A lone tear escaped Itachi's eyes as he finished casting the Tsukiyomi on his brother. He was about to exit the compound and start his life as a missing-nin when he felt eyes settle on him. He looked up to see the blonde shaman he grew to respect give him a sad smile before nodding in understanding, Naruto's words echoing in his mind as if reassuring him that he did the right thing.

"…_for whatever you are about to do, please know that someone here in Konoha wouldn't look at you in hate."_

"Thank you, Asakura-sama." whispered Itachi. Despite the distance, he knew that the shaman heard it. "Please watch over my brother in my stead."

Itachi saw Naruto nod before sprinting out of the compound to his new life outside the village walls - a rogue, a killer, a traitor.

His heart didn't waver though since he knew that someone he trusted believed in his innocence and sacrifice for his beloved Konoha.

* * *

The Uchiha Massacre, as the village dubbed it, was brutal and he was immediately called to the scene to determine who killed them. Of course, he made a show of doing something since he didn't need to rely on his abilities to reveal the identity of the killer.

After listening to the wails of the villagers for the loss of such a powerful clan, Naruto proceeded to walk through the compound, ignoring the carnage around him. He listened to the spirits and sent some of them to the afterlife. Others decided to stay and watch over Sasuke being the sole survivor, mostly aunts and uncles who didn't have a hand in the coup.

Naruto sighed as he sent the last spirit to the afterlife before turning to see a sad Hokage walking towards him.

"How are you holding up, jiji?" Naruto asked his surrogate grandfather. He knew the old man was the one who ordered the massacre. It was a hard decision but he had to do it. There was no way out of it since peaceful negotiations wouldn't be able to penetrate Uchiha Fugaku's arrogance.

"Burdened, Naruto-kun. This was a decision that I had to make, choosing the lesser of two evils for the village." the Sandaime said sadly as Naruto nodded in understanding.

"The spirits of the dead didn't blame you, jiji. In fact, quite a lot of them understood yours and Itachi's sacrifice."

"Even if they don't blame me, I still blame myself, Naruto-kun."

"Time heals all wounds, old man." Naruto advised the man with a smile on his face. "How is Sasuke?"

"He is currently at the hospital. I don't know why Itachi subjected him to such a nightmare but I know he has his reasons. As it stands, the boy is in a coma, his mind horribly damaged by a powerful genjutsu. Inoichi tried to fix the damage but he can only do so much without destroying the boy's future." the aged leader informed him with a frown. "Is there a way for you to help him?"

Naruto shook his head.

"There is but it is not a good idea. I can easily wipe out his memories of the massacre but that would be detrimental to his mental stability. If he wants to grow and become a great man then he need to face his demons head on." Naruto told the aged leader with a seriousness that didn't reflect his age.

"He is just a kid, Naruto-kun." the Sandaime pointed out.

"Yes, he is two years younger than me but that doesn't stop the fact that he is still a boy who has a responsibility to his dead clan. It is now up to him to bring back the Uchiha without his father tainting the new generation. In order to do that, he needs to face his past in order to pave the way for the brighter future." Naruto said seriously making the Hokage nod in understanding.

"Fine. But please keep an eye on him."

"I promised Itachi that I would." Naruto said before making his way out of the compound. The Furyoku in the air was making him dizzy. He sighed tiredly. "This place is going to need a thorough cleansing."

"Why do you say that?" asked Sarutobi curiously.

"The spiritual energy in the air is so thick that it would attract demons in droves. I already told you that a demon is created when an area is saturated in negative emotions with Furyoku to back it up. To counter that, I will cleanse the area of any negative energies and erect a barrier. If I leave it be, we are going to have a demon infestation in our hands. Will Sasuke be staying here in the compound?"

"That's his choice. I am already assigning a few ANBU to clean the place up. It should take a day or two to get it done. If he wants to stay here then I'll assigning a few ANBU to keep an eye on him, possibly on a suicide watch since the boy's psyche was seriously damaged." said Sarutobi as he shook his head in disbelief.

"That's a good idea. Who knows what a kid his age would do after being subjected to such a horrible experience." Naruto agreed before pulling out a small wooden tile from the sleeve of his blue kimono. "I tagged Itachi's signature. If you need to find him in the future, this tile will lead you to him. Keep it hidden and only use it when necessary."

"Why do you say that?" asked the Sandaime as he accepted the tile. He felt Itachi's chakra signature on the item, as well as something else. Holding it gave him the urge to go east.

"I don't know why but something is going to happen in the future and Itachi is going to play a pivotal role in its success. Call it a…divination of sorts but this is mostly my gut instinct talking." Naruto said with smirk causing the Hokage to laugh.

"I'll take your word for it, my boy."

* * *

On his perch on top of an electric pole, a 12 year old Naruto watched Sasuke attend his fourth year in the Shinobi Academy. After the massacre, the last 'loyal' Uchiha of the Konoha did a complete 180. He was now a brooding boy who declared himself an avenger – intent on gaining power at any cost to avenge his clan. His mission in life was to defeat Itachi.

Of course, due to his promise, Naruto tried to salvage whatever childhood Sasuke had but it was impossible at this point. The boy's anger and hatred over his brother was absolute and there was nothing he could do short of altering the boy's mind could change it.

No, he wouldn't change Sasuke since that wouldn't really do anything. He would give the boy a chance. If he betrays the village then he would have a pissed off shaman after his guts, promise to Itachi be damned.

Sighing, Naruto made his way to the Hokage's office to get started with his plans. He's been cooped up in the village for 6 years now and he needed to broaden his horizons if he wanted to become an effective shaman. There was more to the world than his memories of his ancestors and he wanted to experience it first-hand.

He knocked on the door to the Hokage's office before entering. He saw the old man pouring over the documents pertaining to who knows what.

"Good afternoon, jiji. I was wondering if you have time to talk." asked Naruto before taking a seat when the Sandaime beckoned him to do so.

"I always have time for you, Naruto-kun. What do you want to talk about?" said the Sandaime as he pushed the paper aside and giving his surrogate grandson his undivided attention.

"I was wondering if you could grant me some travel rights for one year." Naruto told the surprised Hokage.

"You want to travel? What for?"

"As a shaman, I need to learn of the world and connect with the different spirits in the land. Of course, shamans are born wanderers, allowing the spirits to guide their steps to whatever destination they deemed important. In my case, I just want a year to travel and see the sights and immerse myself in the different cultures of the Elemental Nations." explained Naruto as he tapped his temple. "Besides, the geography has greatly changed so I definitely want to experience the world's new geography first hand."

"I guess there's no harm in that." the Sandaime shrugged. Despite his age, he knew for a fact that Naruto could easily take care of himself and had no problems letting the boy roam around. "Would you give in to this old man's peace of mind to take an ANBU guard with you?"

Naruto laughed before shaking his head in negative.

"I don't think so, jiji. I need to do this alone if I really want to get the most out of this trip."

"Fine." said the Hokage before pulling out a scroll from his drawer. He read the content before affixing his signature along with his seal. He rolled it up before handing it over to the shaman who took it curiously. "That is a ambassador-level travel pass. It will allow you to enter any village with my authority and blessing. That is valid until this time next year. I hope that is enough since I can't do anything more."

"This is more than enough, jiji." Naruto said happily.

"Where are you off to first?" the old man asked curiously, wanting to know what the boy's travel plans were.

"I'm not really sure but I'll make my way to Wave Country first before making my way to the now-destroyed Uzushio." Naruto said with a hint of sadness in his voice that made the aged leader's heart clench. He already told the boy of his parent's identity years ago, as well as some stories of his mother's homeland – the now destroyed Uzushiogakure no Sato.

"Why do you want to go there? It's nothing but ruins."

"For a normal human. But for a shaman, there is more there than meets the eye. The reason why I want to visit my mother's homeland is to see it first hand, not just visualizing it from your stories, and possibly converse with a few spirits there if they haven't moved on to the afterlife." Naruto said sadly. He already knew who his parents were since the Hokage was quite forward with the information after the aged leader deemed him strong enough to guard the secret. Iwa and Kumo would have a conniption fit if they learned that the Yondaime Hokage has a son and a shaman to boot!

"I understand." Sarutobi nodded. "When will you be leaving?"

"I'll just need to return home and pack my bags. I'll be out of the village in an hour or two." Naruto declared with excitement.

"Then I guess all I can say is good luck and stay safe, Naruto-kun." he told the blonde who was grinning like a loon.

"Thanks, old man. See you in a year."

* * *

**End of chapter 4**

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM if you have suggestions or violent reactions.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm on a roll! Enjoy chapter 5!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Meet the Family**

Naruto double checked his map before squinting at mist covered island in front of him. He was on the first leg of his journey, reaching Wave Country to rent a ride to ferry him to Uzu. He spent an hour combing the shore for a boat to get him across but all he found was an abandoned fisherman's shack without any boats to hijack.

"This is so not good." murmured Naruto. This was one of those few moments in time that he wished he could mold chakra so he could water walk to Wave. "Oh well…SoF!"

The chibified GS appeared in a burst of fire as it hovered in front of its master waiting for an order.

"Armor OS mode." Naruto barked as his body was engulfed in fire before it dispersed to reveal Kurobina. He floated a few meters off the ground before flying forward at top speed causing the waters to part as he sped to his destination.

It didn't take long for him to arrive at his destination thanks to the enhanced speed Kurobina granted him. He dispersed his SoF before making his way to a fisherman town indicated on the map. He was surprised though when group of bandits came out of the mist-covered trees, carrying rusted weapons and sporting bloodthirsty grins on their faces. He looked around to discover that he was surrounding, effectively cutting off any escape route he might had if he ever thought of escaping.

"What have we here, boys?" the burly bandit exclaimed as he eyed the expensive clothes Naruto was wearing. "I think we hit the jackpot."

"This is so not my day." murmured Naruto before addressing the man in front of him. "Can I sweet talk you into letting me pass to avoid this foolishness?"

"There's no foolishness here, gaki. You entered our territory then you need to pay the toll." the man said with a leer.

"Toll? Well, I don't mind. How much is the toll?" asked Naruto as he reached inside his poncho towards the pockets on his pants for some money.

"Everything you own and your life." The bandit leader grinned as he hefted the spear, preparing for an attack.

"I don't think that is a fair price." said Naruto with a smile. "Tell you what; if you let me go then I will spare your lives. Is that alright?"

"You have balls, kid, I'll give you that but…URK." the bandit leader was cut short when a clawed hand gorged him from the back. "W-what?" was all he said before he was burned to ash revealing a man-sized SoF with its claws outstretched. The bandits took a step back, their faces showing fear as their leader was easily dispatched by an unknown creature.

"W-What are you?" asked one of the bandits carrying a kunai.

Naruto didn't bother to grace that with a response, but instead, gave his GS an order.

"Dig in." the shaman ordered with a cold look on his face. He watched the massacre happening in front of him as his GS destroyed the bandits, eating their souls before burning them to ash, their screams of pain was music to his ears. He wasn't bothered by their deaths since these people deserved it. For him, they were scum that needs to be cleansed and he was more than happy to take care of it.

When SoF finished feasting on their souls and disposed of the empty bodies, Naruto continued his walk towards the fishing town of Wave Country. He found the place quite depressing as if the happiness was sucked out of the place but he didn't delve into that further since this wasn't his business. He made his way to the nearest bar to gather information. He went to the counter where a rather gruff looking barman was cleaning an empty glass with a clean white cloth.

"What do you want?" asked the barman without even looking at him, continuing to wipe the already clean glass.

"A cold drink if you have it." Naruto replied causing the barman raise his head and leveled him a look.

"Aren't you a bit too young to drink, gaki? How old are you? Ten?"

"I'm twelve and I didn't say alcohol. If you have cold juice or something then I would appreciate it since I'm a bit thirsty from the walk." Naruto retorted with a smirk which the barman returned.

"Pineapple juice for you then." said barman as he filled a glass with a yellowish liquid from a pitcher. He dropped a cube of ice before serving. "Enjoy."

"Thanks." Naruto said before taking a sip, liking the taste of the drink since it was fresh and sweet. "Is this the place where I can get some information?"

"About what?" the barman asked nervously, his eyes suddenly shifting to the various patrons as if someone was watching him.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man's sudden change in demeanor but pushed it to the back of his mind. Again, it wasn't his business to pry in the town's current state of affairs unless it concerned him.

"Do you know anyone who can rent me a boat for a short journey? I'll pay any price as long as it's reasonable."

The barman's expression turned from shifty to one of surprise. He smirked before answering.

"Hm. You might want to look for Kaito in the fisherman's nest near the pier. He often takes passengers from here to the mainland and back. Where do you plan to take the boat to, gaki?"

"Uzu." answered Naruto causing the barman to leer.

"Why do you want to get there? There's nothing in that island but ruins." the barman pointed out. Naruto nodded before drinking the rest of his juice.

"I know but I still want to go there since I have an interest to see the ruins up close."

"You're not a grave robber, are you?" the barman asked in an accusing manner though there was a greedy glint in his eyes that Naruto immediately noticed.

"Kami no!" exclaimed Naruto before deciding to stick to his fabricated story since he wasn't of a mind to announce to the world that he was an Uzumaki. "My aunt was one of the survivors of Uzu before it was destroyed. She was telling me stories about her life there and described the place. I want to see it with my two eyes before going back home to Hi no Kuni."

"Ah. Curiosity huh? So I guess you're an Uzumaki then?" asked the barman in interest. Naruto shook his head in negative, faking a sigh as if he wished to be one.

"Nope. I was adopted." Naruto replied with an absolutely straight making the barman nod.

"You're right on that note. Uzumakis either have red or black hair, no blondes as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, it's not my business so don't want to pry. If you want to go to Uzu then you might want to find Kaito. He usually takes some tourists to Uzu during the peak seasons for 100 ryo a trip. Since you're the only one, you might have to rent the boat and pay a larger sum for it." The barman advised that made Naruto smile.

"Thanks for the information." said Naruto as he placed a few notes of ryo on the table – payment for the drink and an extra for the information. He nodded to the barman before making his exit.

It didn't take him long to find the fisherman's nest thanks to some helpful villagers who pointed the way. A drunk lounging outside pointed him to Kaito who was quite tall and had a no-nonsense air around him.

"I heard you were looking for me, gaki." Kaito said gruffly as he nursed a sake bottle on the table. "You want to rent my boat for a trip?"

"News travels fast in these parts." Naruto said dryly. "I won't beat around the bush then. Can you take me to the ruins of Uzu?"

"You alone?" Kaito asked immediately, squinting his eyes at Naruto as if trying to finding something wrong with him.

"Yes and I'll pay extra to make it worth your while."

"Then I'll charge you 500 ryo a trip, double the price if you want to return. Take it or leave it." Kaito said gruffly, discouraging any possibilities of negotiations since business was quite slow these days.

"Deal." said Naruto as he fished out the agreed amount from his pocket without bothering to play around with the price. He was well-off after all and he didn't want to deprive the man of his income.

"My type of customer." Kaito said in approval as he pocketed the money before finishing the rest of his drink. "When do you want to leave?"

"How long will the trip take?" Naruto asked curiously since this was going to be his first time on a boat and he didn't know how far Uzu was from his location.

Kaito thought for a bit before answering.

"An hour tops since the weather is good."

"Maybe we can leave in an hour?" he asked the man and got a nod in reply. "Can we stay the night or do you want to return immediately?"

Kaito shrugged as if he didn't care.

"I don't have anything else to do for the week so I can stay overnight or two if you wish but you have to get the supplies for the two of us. I don't have any extra money to buy the stuff to set up camp."

"I don't mind." He really didn't mind since this trip was more important than any money. He could fly back from Uzu using his SoF but he didn't want to arouse anyone's suspicion. After all, flight was an impossibility in the shinobi nations, well, except for a chosen few in Konoha anyway. "Is there a shop around here that sells camping supplies and maybe some food for us?"

"There's one next door. Tell the man there that Kaito sent you. He'll give you a discount and I get a referral fee for pointing you his way." Kaito said with a grin which Naruto mimicked. "I'll provide our food. I hope you aren't averse to fish, gaki."

"That's fine. I'm not a picky eater. I'll be back in an hour for our trip." was all Naruto said before turning to leave. He needed to buy enough supplies for a two-day trip if he wanted to get the most out of his stay in his mother's homeland.

* * *

As Kaito predicted, the trip from Wave to Uzu took an hour. Naruto thought the money he paid the enterprising fisherman was worth it as the man expertly navigated the natural whirlpools that protected the island home of the Uzumaki Clan. Kaito landed on a destroyed pier and tying his rope to the pole that jutted out of the water before making his way to Naruto who was staring at the forest path in front of him with an indecipherable look on his face.

"Uzushio is half-an-hour walk along that path. I'll set up camp here since the weather is nice so we don't have to worry about strong winds uprooting our tents." Kaito told the distracted shaman as he placed the supplies on the sand.

"Kaito, I'll go to Uzushio alone from here. I'll come back in two days." Naruto said distractedly. He could hear voices coming from the ruins but they were whispers and couldn't make any sense out of it.

"You sure you don't want a guide, gaki?" asked a worried Kaito.

"I can manage. You don't have to worry about food either. Find some for your own and I'll take care of my meals while I check around the ruins. I'm sure that the forest have a few game I can catch if I get hungry." Naruto assured the skeptic fisherman.

"If you insist." Kaito said with a shrug. "As I said, I don't have anything to do for the week so take your time, gaki. I like staying here anyway since the island has a soothing presence to it for some reason."

"Thanks, Kaito. See you later." was all Naruto said before following the path to the destroyed home of his ancestors, leaving a confused fisherman behind to set up camp.

* * *

Naruto stood on top of a hill overlooking the ruined village of the Uzumaki Clan. The Sandaime Hokage provided him with his accounts of the downfall of the Uzumaki Clan - Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri banding together to finish off the powerful clan that was renowned throughout the Elemental Nations for their prowess in the Sealing Arts.

He instinctively knew that there was more to the story but that was the extent of the Hokage's knowledge in the matter.

From his perch on the hill, Naruto could see that the village itself was designed similar to the Uzumaki swirl; the streets, despite the ruined buildings, twirled inward until it stopped at the large rubble at the center of the village. According to his surrogate grandfather, the center of the village was the home of the head of the Uzumaki Clan, the Uzukage, the strongest Uzumaki of the generation before the torch was passed on when the current leader steps down.

Naruto didn't know how long he stood on top of the cliff as he studied the village below him. He didn't notice as his feet started moving, taking him down to the village proper. His senses tingled as the Furyoku in the air crooned at him, caressing him, welcomed him. He didn't notice the various spirits materialized, making a path for him towards the center of the village.

Naruto didn't notice the faces of man, woman, child as he trudged on as if in a trance. He didn't notice that none of their faces held anger or suffering, only calm acceptance and curiosity.

He didn't know how long he walked but he was broken out of his trance when he found himself in front of a ruined tower, the Uzumaki swirl still visible amongst the rubble that was once the symbol of the fabled building at the heart of the village. He wasn't prepared when a aged man with long hair wearing a samurai armor appeared.

"_Welcome, youngster. It has been quite a while since a living Uzumaki graced this island. I welcome you back home, young Uzumaki." _the apparition spoke in a calm, yet powerful was startled by the aged spirit's greeting.

"How did you know?" the blonde asked immediately.

"_How did I know that you are of Uzumaki decent? How did I know that you are a shaman? How did I know that you are a descendant of the Shaman King himself?" _the spirit asked rhetorically with some amusement.

"Uh, yes?" Naruto asked dumbly as the spirit laughed.

"_You still have much to learn, young shaman. Despite being given the knowledge of your ancestors, your education is woefully incomplete. But that can be solved in time. You are starting a new path so you will learn what you should know if you had a master to guide you."_

"I guess you could say that." Naruto said with a nod of agreement. "I take it that you will be answering my questions regarding the Uzumaki Clan? While you're at it, can you tell me your name?"

_If that is what you wish then yes, I will answer your questions. My name is Uzumaki Genji, the Godaime Uzukage. Follow me, young one, as I lead you to your destiny."_

The aged Uzumaki leader turned towards the ruined tower and phased through the rubble. Naruto stared at the spot before grumbling about insensitive spirits. He manifested his GS and had it move the rubble aside to reveal the first floor of the tower completely intact as if an unknown force protected it. He dismissed the spirit before entering the archway and followed the narrow corridor until he found himself in a small room. The spirit of the Uzukage smiled as he gestured towards the swirl on the wall.

"_Place a drop of your blood on the swirl to reveal the secret chamber underneath us." _The Uzukage instructed.

Naruto complied with the specter's orders and bit his thumb to draw blood. He swiped the bloodied digit on the seal causing it to glow. A trap door appeared on the floor in the middle of the room to reveal a set of stairs leading downward, spiraling into the unknown. The Uzukage merely phased through the floor to the chamber underneath.

Seeing the darkness, Naruto called SoF light his way before entering the trap door and followed the stair as it spiraled to the catacombs below.

Naruto didn't know how long he traversed the stairs but he eventually found himself in a dimly lit chamber. He sent a mental command to his GS resulting in the spirits increased illumination, revealing the chamber to be a giant library containing hundreds, if not, thousands of books and scrolls. He saw the spirit of the Godaime Uzukage sitting on a large chair behind a relatively large desk. He beckoned for Naruto to take the seat in front of him which the shaman complied. The specter spoke as he made himself comfortable.

"_What you see before you is the sum of all knowledge accumulated by generations upon generations of Uzumakis since the clan's conception before the Juubi's appearance in the Elemental Nations. This is practically the reason why Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri attacked, hoping to acquire our clan's legacy and make it their own. However, they couldn't find anything since I ordered the clan to transfer all of it here in a hidden chamber underneath the Uzukage Tower, the walls and foundation protected by seals that made it impossible for them to tunnel through even if they discovered its existence."_ Genji said smugly to Naruto who frowned.

"Why? Why is the knowledge so important that it merited the destruction of the clan?" Naruto asked with incredulity.

"_Unlike other shinobi village that prized ninjutsu, genjutsu, iryojutsu, kenjutsu, and bloodline abilities; the Uzumaki Clan mastered and advanced the art of fuuinjutsu to a level that made them fear us." _Genji informed Naruto who listened in rapt attention. _"For example, the seal that holds Kyuubi inside you is considered a pittance to the real seal that was designed for holding the most powerful bijuu without sacrificing the caster's life. The Yondaime, your father, was considered a Seal Master but even he couldn't modify the seal to protect himself from summoning the Shinigami and taking his life as payment, nor expected the side-effect of sealing your chakra forever._

The blonde groaned. Despite having accepted the fact that he couldn't become a shinobi due to his inability to mold chakra, he still hated the fact being thrown to his face.

"Damn, you spirits tend to gossip a lot." Naruto murmured causing the aged specter to smirk.

"_You, being a shaman, should know how boring the afterlife is. We spend most of our time on the mainland listening to the news and happenings in the Elemental Nations. You can say that not many are hidden from us and you should know that Uzumakis are a curious bunch."_ Genji said with a twitch of his spectral lips.

"I definitely can't deny that." Naruto said with a smirk.

"_You should. Now, young shaman, what brings you to your home soil? I doubt you're here for sightseeing."_

"Curiosity, I guess." Naruto shrugged. "I just want to see my mother's homeland and possibly converse with a spirit or two about the clan's history. It was pure luck that I found you..." He paused. "Or rather, how you found me."

Genji nodded.

"_You can say that your being here is destined to happen. Sooner or later, you would have eventually made your way here for one reason or another. As to your quest to learn the history of your ancestors, everything you need to know can be found in this room. It is yours to keep since you are my direct descendant."_

"What?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise. "You mean to tell me that you're my…um…great-great-great grandfather?"

"_That's too many greats, gaki. Grandfather should suffice." _the specter said with a pained look. "_You didn't think that your mother went to Konoha on a whim, did you? Your mother was requested by Uzumaki Mito, one of the princesses of the Uzumaki Clan when Konoha was brought up from the ashes of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara's battle. She was the first jinchuuriki of Kurama before your mother, my great granddaughter, was requested to head to Konoha to become the second. She was lucky to be called away too since the war started when she left this island."_

"Whoah. Slow down, old timer. Who is Kurama?" exclaimed Naruto since his grandfather's answers led to more questions. The Uzukage saw the helpless look causing an amused expression to appear on his face.

"_You really should take time to talk to the Kyuubi inside you. After all, the beast knows the history of the world being the oldest of the nine tailed beasts. To answer your question, Kyuubi is merely a title, not a name. His name is Kurama, the eldest of the nine that was the result of the Rikkudo Sennin's actions of splitting the Juubi's power before sealing its body into the moon_

"I am so getting a headache." said Naruto as he massaged his temple. He was getting a headache from the disconnected information. It would have been bearable but answering one question opened up for more. It was infuriating. "You're not really that good in answering my questions, grandfather. If what you say is true then everything I need to know is here for me to read and discover, correct?"

"_Yes though I suggest that you start with shelf on my left. Everything there holds the history of our clan. There's even a few information there about shamans but you have to comb through the records to find them. I suggest that you don't take the library with you since you couldn't use storage scrolls with your inability to use chakra though there is a way around that if you're of a mind to hear it."_

That little tidbit perked Naruto up. There was a way for him to mold chakra?

"You mean there is a way for me to use chakra? You said that my chakra is sealed of permanently short of unsealing the Kyuubi?"

"_You can't mold your own chakra since the seal holding your bijuu ensured that. However, there is no stopping you from using your tenant's chakra since it is already a combination of both physical and spiritual energy though in a more potent form. I'm sure Kurama wouldn't mind lending you his strength if you ask for it."_

"Oh…oh! Why in the world didn't I think of that?" Naruto exclaimed in disgust for not realizing that little fact.

"_Because you don't know what a bijuu is capable of nor have you really learned what chakra really is. I suggest that you take your time to comb through the records since I know you're not in a hurry."_

Naruto looked around and couldn't help but grimace at the number of books in the chamber.

"Two days is not going to cut this. I think I'll send my guide back to Wave. I can easily leave the island easy enough but I didn't want to reveal my ability of flight."

"_You know, you shouldn't hide your abilities." _Genji chided his grandson. "_Unlike shinobi, a shaman is the nexus between the world of the living and spirits. You should let the world know that a shaman once again roams the land when the Rikkudo Sennin left this world."_

"You're doing it again, you know." Naruto said dryly. He looked to the shelf his dead grandfather pointed out earlier before letting out a resigned sigh. "I guess I better get started."

* * *

**End of chapter 5. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM me for suggestions.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm seeing a lot of activity for this story and I am happy that you, my readers, are enjoying my newest creation. There are some questions that needs answering so let me get started. **

**1. There will be no Shaman King characters in this story other than Asakura Hao talking to Naruto in the first chapter. There will be no representation of Anna or other SK characters. Abilities, yes. Couterparts, no.**

**2. At the current pace, there is no pairing. Seriously, Naruto is 12 years old people. I'm not sure if I'm going to make a paring for this story but that depends on future twists to the plot. **

**3. No, this is NOT a yaoi fic. Refer to #2 if you have questions about pairings. **

**Alright, I'm done. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King. **

* * *

**Chapter 6: A Change in Status**

Naruto spent the next four months in Uzushio to learn the history of his clan under the guidance of his grandfather's spirit. The library was definitely huge, a compilation of hundreds of years of history, old and new innovation on fuuinjutsu, some random ninjutsu and kenjutsu techniques, and more.

In regards to history, Naruto learned that the last shaman before him was the Rikkudo Sennin, the mythical Sage of the Six Paths who introduced chakra to the Elemental Nations, thus giving birth to the shinobi of today. One of the reason why the Sage was considered a god among shinobi was his shamanic abilities on top of the mythical Rinnegan that granted him various powers that allowed him to defeat the penultimate harbinger of destruction, the Juubi, sealed the monster's body into a construct before throwing it into the sky which later became the moon while keeping the beast's chakra into himself.

Before his deathbed, the Sage used his Rinnegan and shamanic abilities to separate the Juubi's chakra into nine manifestations, the bijuu or the tailed beasts. He gave them personality and power, similar to how an oversoul is created.

Naruto delved into the history of the Uzumaki Clan with gusto. He learned of his ancestors abilities in the Sealing Arts, making them one of the most powerful clans in the Elemental Nations. However, when the Sage died, the knowledge of his shamanic techniques died with him. The gene that triggered one's Furyoku also became dormant until Hao woke it up from within his body.

His grandfather was kind enough to reveal to him one of the legendary items created by the Sage, the Staff of Spirits – a six foot tool metal staff with a large ring at its head. The large ring had six smaller rings through it, three on each side of the handle. The face of the metal was covered in various markings that Naruto found similar fuuinjutsu and shamanic runes.

According to his clan's scrolls, the Staff of Spirits was what allowed the Sage of the Six Paths to defeat the Juubi with the help of his Rinnegan. There was no record on the actual function of the legendary staff but the first time Naruto held it amplified his Furyoku to levels that made his knees weak. He accepted his grandfather's request of using the staff in his quest to revive the shamanic tribe in the Elemental Nations.

When the four months of study ended, he only had one more goal to accomplish.

To finally meet with his tenant.

* * *

Naruto found himself inside his mindscape after going into a trance. But unlike the sewer as he remembered it, he found himself standing on top of a large plateau. He would have found it a picturesque scene if not for the large fox with nine tails chained to the ground in front of him.

"**So, my container finally graced me with his presences." **the Kyuubi said sarcastically.

Naruto tilted his head to the side as he sensed the true emotions of the oversoul in front of him. Yes, he already surmised that the bijuu was an oversoul of demi-god class thanks to his ancestor. He could sense the Furyoku keeping the Kyuubi's manifested in the physical realm thought here was another energy source there reminded him of a vast ocean.

"Cut it out, Kurama. You don't have to act in front of me." Naruto told the bijuu kindly which shocked the kitsune.

"**I think I underestimated you, Naruto. You are definitely similar to father in all aspect."** Kurama said mildly without the hate in his voice.

"Father?"

"**Your ancestor, the Rikkudo Sennin. "**

"Ah. I guess it stands to reason that you consider him as your parent since he created you and the rest of your brothers. Would it be safe to say that you also sense my shamanic abilities."

"**Correct. I was quite shocked to discover that my container is a shaman but I couldn't say anything or make contact with you because of the nature of your father's seal."**

"O…kay. That is definitely new. Can you tell me why that is?"

"**The Shiki Fuuin and the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki ensures that I cannot make first contact. You have to meet me in person in order for us to communicate like this. As it stands, the seal already created a telepathic link between you and me, allowing us to converse without your needed to delve into your mind."**

"Now that is an interesting function." Naruto said in interest, mentally making a note to ask the Sandaime if he had his father's notes on the two seals. "I think you already know why I'm here?"

"**Hard not to since I am connected to your mind."** Kurama said dryly. **"You want to use my chakra since you can't mold your own because of the seal keeping me inside you."**

Naruto shrugged before taking a seat in front of the restrained bijuu.

"To be honest, I just want to find out if it was possible. I am quite happy being a shaman but your chakra, being a potent energy, may open up new possibilities if combined with my shamanic techniques."

Kurama chuckled.

"**You are definitely like him. He thought of the same thing when he sealed the Juubi's chakra into his body. That was how he created the Staff of Spirits by combining Furyoku and the Juubi's potent energy."**

"You know of the Legendary Items?" Naruto asked with some surprise. According to the Uzumaki clan history, there was no record of the bijuu ever having knowledge of the Sage's legendary weapons.

"**Of course. Father told us all about it before….before he passed away."** Kurama said sadly, a lone tear escaping its eye.

Naruto sighed as he sensed the powerful love Kurama had for the Sage of the Six Paths. His eyes took on a determined glint as he made up his mind. He sped through hand seals unlike the ones used by shinobi as he chanted a mantra in an ancient dialect no longer used in the Elemental Nations. Slowly, balls of energy materialized around Naruto as he chanted until the balls of light attacked the chains that kept the giant bijuu pinned to the ground. The blonde shaman ended his chant as a confused Kurama pushed himself off the ground and stretched, relishing the freedom he just gained.

"**Why?"** Kurama asked though it sounded like a demand without the malice attributed to such a request.

"Why what?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"**Why did you get rid of the binds? You could have easily controlled me with them on. You could use my chakra without my permission so why did you remove it? Why did you remove the seal's function to give you complete control over my abilities."**

Naruto's expression transformed into one of determination that reminded the bijuu of his father.

"I know the truth, Kurama. I will not stand by to let a creation of my ancestor be turned into a slave." Naruto declared resolutely before pointing at the collar with a large 'Seal' around the bijuu's neck. "The seal my father used tied your life force to mine so there is no way for you to be free from me without both of us dying. However, I found a scroll in the Uzumaki Archive containing a technique that disables a seal's function and only a shaman can use it since it requires pure Furyoku to activate. I gave you the freedom of movement in my mind but we are still tied together because of the Shinigami's hand in the sealing.

Kurama snorted before grinning foxily at the shaman.

"**I guess father was right when he said that one will come in the future that would treat us with respect and free us from the hate that gripped this world. Well met, Asakura Naruto."**

"Well met, Kurama of the Nine Tails. I guess this means we're going to be partners from now on?"

"**Partners?"** Kurama asked with a tilt of his head in confusion.

"Of course. As I said earlier. I am not treating you like a slave nor will I allow you to control me. As it stands, the best way to describe this relationship is a partnership between two sentient beings." Naruto said with a smirk, holding out a fist towards the bijuu.

"**Hm. You intrigue me, Asakura Naruto."** said Kurama as he stretched his fist to bump with Naruto's. **"Partners it is then until both of us kick the bucket."**

* * *

Naruto took a deep breath as he exited the first floor of the Uzukage Tower. It has been a week since he made a partnership with Kurama and practiced with a bit of the bijuu's chakra. He couldn't do anything big with it as of yet but vowed to study his partner's potent energy once he gets back to Konoha.

Also, Naruto was now sporting a new set of clothes his grandfather gifted him. It once belonged to the Sage before he died and the blonde jinchuuriki found it to his liking.

The outfit was composed of a loose-fitting white kimono that showed his lightly muscled chest and displaying the magatama necklace tied loosely around his neck. The kimono was held firmly in place by black obi sash on his waist. The outfit was completed by a pair of loose black pants and a pair of wooden sandals. Tied on his back was a large scroll that contained the entirety of the Uzumaki Archive protected by a blood seal he copied from one of the fuuinjutsu scrolls that was now sealed inside. On his hand was the Staff of Spirits, gleaming in the sunlight.

"I guess this is it." Naruto told his grandfather who was floating beside him. "I promise to visit, grandfather."

"_Take your time, Naruto. I will always be here if you need me."_

"Are you sure you don't want me to send you to the afterlife like I did with the rest?" Naruto asked his last Uzumaki spirit in Uzushio. He spent a week cleansing Uzushio and sending the smiling spirits of his departed clan to the afterlife for their eternal rest. He offered the same thing to his grandfather who didn't accept since he considered it his duty to guard the ruins.

"_I told you before, my grandson, I will be here till the last Uzumaki fades from this world." _Genji insisted._ "However, promise me that you will visit from time to time. Unlike the other spirits, I am tied to this place so I can't leave."_

"I promise, grandfather. Farewell for now." said Naruto as he mentally called SoF and merged into his armored OS. He floated before flying off into the clouds towards the mainland. He decided to take it slow since he wanted to enjoy the sense of weightless that was associated with Kurobina.

"_**You know, this is the first time I experienced flying. You are really amazing, brat."**_

"_Thank you, Kurama. How are you enjoying my senses so far? Not disconcerting I hope?"_

"_**No, I find it liberating since I now have access to the outside world through you. We should do this more often."**_

"_If given a chance then why not. I enjoy flying but I can't really do so in the village."_

"_**Agreed. So where are you off to now? You still have five more months to enjoy before going back to Konoha."**_

"_I think I'll pay Kumo a visit. I read from a scroll in the archive that there's plenty of nice hot springs there. It would be good to relax for a bit before resuming my journey."_

"_**Hm, you might get to meet Gyuuki or Matatabi there if you're lucky."**_

"_The eight and two tails? They're in Kumo?"_

"_**When I was sealed inside Uzumaki Mito, Senju Hashirama gave the two to Kumo as a sign of peace. They should be there unless they moved to another village."**_

"_They're also sealed, aren't they?"_

"_**They should be since all bijuus are inside their containers since they are more protected unlike being out in the open."**_

"_Ah. If I get to meet them, will they recognize me?"_

"_**You might have to flare my chakra to get their attention. Their chakra sense is not as acute as mine so they might not be able to detect your shamanic powers."**_

"_Good point. I'll think I'll land in Tea Country to refresh my supplies before taking the overland route to Kumo. I still want to travel by foot to experience the land and flying kind of defeats the purpose of going into an exploration."_ Naruto told his tenant as he increased his speed, altering his course slighty towards Tea Country. He was out of supplies and he definitely needed some food for his journey to Lightning Country. He had enough of hunting thanks to his stay in Uzushio and he didn't want to continue chasing his food before he could eat them.

* * *

Morino Ibiki was on his way to the ANBU Information Division for his updated copy of the Bingo Book. Unlike the ones from other shinobi villages, Konoha has a more extensive list of missing-nin of other villagers thanks to their spy network. In most cases, the list was updated every three months and accurate enough down to the last detail.

Grinning as he flipped the pages, checking out the new additions, until he saw something that turned his grin into a deep frown before transforming into something akin to anger. He growled a few orders to the head of the division before using Shunshin to exit the room.

He needs to report this to the Hokage before it's too late.

* * *

The Sandaime couldn't believe what he was reading. It was a few minutes ago that Ibiki barged into his office as if the hounds of Yami were after him. The reason for his sudden loss of composure was clutched tightly in his hands. The aged leader discovered why the most feared interrogator was raising a fuss when said interrogator showed him a page in the new edition of the Bingo Book.

_**Entry # 429**_

_**Name: Asakura Naruto (formerly Uzumaki Naruto)**_

_**Alias: Konoha no Shaman**_

_**Affiliation: Konohagakure no Sato**_

_**Shinobi Rank: N/A (under Konoha Military protection detail)**_

_**Status: Alive**_

_**Age: 12**_

_**Rank: B-Rank civilian**_

_**Bounty: 2,000,000 ryo (alive – Iwa, Kumo, Kiri), 500,000 (dead – Iwa, Kumo, Kiri), 1,000,000 (dead or alive – Otogakure)**_

_**Information:**_

_**Noted to have the ability to converse with spirits and displays abilities and techniques without the use of chakra. Rumor has it that Asakura Naruto is capable of summoning a being of pure fire that destroyed a mob of civilians and shinobi when he was five years old. **_

_**Advise: Approach with extreme caution.**_

_**Skill Information:**_

_**Taijutsu: N/A**_

_**Genjutsu: N/A**_

_**Ninjutsu: N/A**_

_**Fuuinjutsu: N/A**_

**Last Known Location: Wave Country (as of 3 months ago)**

The Sandaime was livid. Despite the inaccuracy of the information concerning Naruto's abilities, he couldn't believe the fact that other villagers were already planning capture or kill his surrogate grandson. From the size of the bounty, it was quite obvious that these villagers were aiming to capture him – to add to their ranks or for breeding purposes.

"Where did Naruto's entry originate from?" the Sandaime asked immediately, his mind already formulating a plan to get his surrogate grandson back to the safety of the village.

"According to Jiraiya-sama's spy network, the information originated from Oto before being spread to Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo. We can safely say that whoever the leader of Oto is, he or she has a vested interest in our shaman." Ibiki noted dryly. "What are we going to do, Hokage-sama? Asakura-sama needs to be informed of this and possibly assign an escort if he decides to continue on his journey?"

Sandaime thought about it for a bit before remembering the item Naruto gave him before leaving on his journey. He opened his drawer to pull out a rectangular tile with Naruto's name on it. Touching the item gave him a sense of direction where Naruto was. At this point in time, the boy was somewhere in the east.

"We can find Naruto using this tile. This is infused with his…technique allowing anyone to find him. He gave this to me just in case he is needed by the village." the Hokage informed the awestruck Ibiki. "We need to set up a tracking team to find Naruto as soon as possible."

"I'll mobilize an ANBU team at once." Ibiki declared and was about to leave the room but was stopped by the Hokage.

"No, an ANBU team is too obvious. We are not going to alert the spies in the village that we are actively searching for Naruto. That would only expose Naruto to more dangers." the Sandaime mused before an idea occurred to him. "Get me Team 9."

"Team 9? Is that Gai's team?"

"Yes. Team 9 is a tracker and assault squad thanks to the inclusion of Hyuuga Neji. They have enough firepower to protect Naruto and you already know what our favorite shaman is capable of if push comes to shove."

Ibiki chuckled, remembering the gaki's GS. They would definitely rue the day if they decide to attack the powerful teen.

"Don't you think we should send a more experienced team, Hokage-sama? Team 9 is only into their second month." Ibiki pointed out.

"I don't think so. This is Gai we are talking about and we all know how dedicated the man is to his training program." the Hokage noted with amusement.

"Why don't you send Kakashi along with Team 9? His Sharingan should be a big help if things come to a boil." Ibiki suggested, not content with having a taijutsu master and three rookie Genins to handle this assignment.

"I agree. Please bring them here in the next 10 minutes. If Team 9 is on a mission, pull them out before assigning another Genin team to take over."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Ibiki said before using Shunshin to exit the room.

"That boy is going to be the death of me." grumbled the Hokage as he started writing a mission request to retrieve or protect his grandson. "I think I'll label this as an A-rank mission. Naruto is definitely worth it."

* * *

Why in the spirit's name is going on?" grumbled Naruto as he swung his staff to parry a katana from a Kumo jounin.

Three days on his journey after his brief supply run in Tea Country, he was continuously attacked from various shinobi villages. He was ambushed last night by a team of Iwa Chuunins that his SoF was able to dispatch easily. This morning, a team of Oto shinobi descended on him like a pack of hungry wolves. He immediately summoned his shikigamis to make mincemeat out of them before his GS turned them into breakfast. This was the third team to attack him, three Kumo Jounins armed to the teeth.

He shoved the katana aside before using his staff to bludgeon his opponent in the head but was easily dodged. He jumped back just in time to avoid a ball of lightning and ducked from another sword swing from behind. Naruto growled as he released a burst of Furyoku that pushed his attackers aside.

"This has gone long enough." Naruto declared as he slammed the butt of his staff to the ground while channeling his Furyoku. _**"Omnyoudou Mahou: Bind!"**_

The three Jounins who were about to initiate their next assault suddenly froze in their tracks as if gripped by an invisible hand. They struggled to get out of whatever was binding them in place – using physical strength and chakra to get free to no avail.

"Now that you're comfortable, let's get down to answering my questions." Naruto said casually. "Why are you attacking me?"

"We're not telling you anything, tree hugger." growled the katana-wielding Jounin before grunting in pain as head of Naruto's staff hit him in the stomach. "Ugh."

Naruto turned to the other Jounin.

"Why is Kumo targeting me?" he asked the man who was looking at him in fear.

"I-I'm not going to tell you anything."

Naruto turned to the third Jounin who immediately clamped his mouth shut with a resolute look on his face.

"Aw come on." Naruto screamed in exasperation before an idea occurred to him. He grinned maliciously as he eyed the three nervous shinobi. This would be the first time he tried this technique but if it worked, it would be another powerful technique in his arsenal. "If you won't answer me then I guess you leave me no choice."

"W-What are you going to do?" the third shinobi stuttered out, fear lacing his voice as his determination disappeared when Naruto's grin appeared.

"This." Naruto grinned as he raised his hand into the air, palm open. _**"Kurama, Spirit Ball Mode!"**_

A ball of red energy materialized on the palm of his hand. It had the face of Kyuubi, its eyes full of menace as nine tail-like constructs writhed behind it. Naruto raised the Staff of Spirits in front of him, parallel to the ground.

"_**Kurama into Staff of Spirits!"**_ shouted Naruto as he slammed the red ball into the staff causing a burst of red and white energy to cover his form before it erupted into a pillar of intense energy, hiding him from everyone's view. It was a few seconds later that his form became visible, but instead of the staff in his hands, there was gigantic presence behind him, a presence that scared the shit out of the Kumo shinobi.

Behind Naruto was a twenty-foot tall oversoul of the Kyuubi no Yoko, its eyes looking menacingly at the three shivering shinobi, its nine tails dancing in the air, its chakra being released into the air that pushed the enemies down as if they were suddenly covered in heavy weights.

"_**Oversoul. Kyuubi no Yoko."**_ murmured Naruto. "I will give you three seconds to answer my question. If you don't then you might as well start praying since I'm going to send you to the afterlife."

The Kumo team wasn't able to answer due to the three different shouts that shattered the silence of the forest.

"_**DYNAMIC ENTRY!"**_

"_**CHIDORI!"**_

"_**HAKKE KUSHO!"**_

Naruto stared, dumbfounded, as Gai released a barrage of punches and kicks at one Jounin while Kakashi shoved a lightning encased hand on another Jounin's heart. Another that Naruto recognized as Hyuuga Neji released a powerful thrust that blew the third shinobi back to crash into a tree and knocking him unconscious.

"Glad that we made it in time, Asakura-sama."

Naruto turned to see Tenten, the daughter of the owner of the shinobi store in Konoha, beside him with a pair of kunais out in a defensive stance. He turned to his other side to see a mini Gai in the opening stance of the Gouken.

A bewildered Naruto started at the three in front of him while said three were looking at the smirking Kyuubi in fear.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING HERE?" the four screamed out in unison as the Kyuubi burst out in laughter.

* * *

**End of Chapter 6. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM me for suggestions and violent reactions.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for not updating sooner. I treated myself to a self-imposed vacation of sorts before going back to the grind (yes, I'm talking about work, and no, I don't consider writing as work ^_^). **

**Anyway, here's chapter 7. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King. **

* * *

**Chapter 7: Enter Jiraiya and Iwa**

Naruto frowned after hearing from Gai and Kakashi the reason why he was being targeted by the shinobi village. Really, why in the world would they place him, a non-shinobi, in the Bingo Book?

"So you mean to tell me that Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, and Oto paid to have me hunted down to be assassinated or captured? Me, a non-shinobi is in the Bingo Book?" Naruto confirmed with Gai and Kakashi nodding. He sighed. "Great. Crazy people are after me."

"You are pretty strong with your shamanic abilities, Naruto-kun." Kakashi pointed out with his usual eye smile.

"Strong, yes, but I'm still a civilian. This has to be the first time that a civilian is placed in the Bingo Book!" Naruto protested, unable to believe that his surrogate brother is condoning this.

"Your Flames of Youth have spread far, Asakura-sama! Yosh! You should become a shinobi to spark your flames even brighter." Gai shouted at the top of his lungs, scaring the local wildlife away from their impromptu camp.

"Not now, Gai." Naruto said irritably, massaging his temples. "Alright, why are you here?"

"Ibiki informed Hokage-sama when he found your entry in the updated Bingo Book. He immediately set up a tracking and assault team to find you and bring you back to the village for your safety." Kakashi told him as he pulled out something from his vest pocket and threw it at Naruto who caught it easily. "We found you through that."

Naruto opened his hand to see the tracking tile he gave to the Hokage.

"So Hokage-jiji want me to return to Konoha?" he asked with a frown.

"For your safety, yes." said Kakashi as Naruto fumed.

"I don't think so damn it. I still have five months more to enjoy and explore. I'm not going home just because some idiot kage wants my head. I can take care of myself thank you very much." Naruto declared heatedly.

"**Damn right he can."** Kurama growled from his place behind the group.

"Uh, Naruto, why is the Kyuubi out and why is it not killing us at this moment?" Tenten asked nervously. Due to Naruto's insistence, the S-rank secret surrounding his status as a jinchuuriki was lifted since the shaman didn't want to hide the truth anymore. If they continued to hate him then that was their problem. Thankfully, his reputation as a shaman and his many feats that resulted in Konoha's prosperity resulted in the people and his peers to understand his status instead of labeling him as the next Kyuubi.

Besides, who was stupid enough to attack a powerful shaman with a gigantic bodyguard that could burn you to ashes while being under the protection of the entire shinobi battalion? The civilians and Kyuubi haters definitely kept their mouth shut. They weren't suicidal thank you very much.

"I was able to bring him out as a guardian spirit thanks to a technique only shamans can do." Naruto explained without going into detail on how he modified the seal keeping the bijuu inside him. "However, he cannot manifest with his full power and I can regulate how much he would be getting every time he makes an appearance."

"**He is correct. I currently have two-tails of my chakra flowing through me with the rest sealed inside Naruto."** Kurama told the group. **"And for your information, I'm a male, not an IT."**

"My apologies, Kyuubi-sama." Tenten apologized immediately, not wanting to anger the powerful bijuu.

"**Hm, Kyuubi-sama…that has a nice ring to it."** said Kurama, liking the respect the girl was giving him.

"Conceited fox." Naruto said playfully before addressing the bewildered Kakashi. "I am going to continue my journey whether jiji likes it or not. However, as a compromise, you are free to accompany me if you wish. What is the scope of your mission?"

Gai took out a scroll from his pouch and opened it.

"The mission parameters has two conditions. One is to bring Asakura-sama back to the village. However, if that doesn't work then condition two will come into play. The A-rank retrieval mission will be upgraded to an S-rank escort mission to accompany Asakura-sama throughout his travel until his return to the village to merit this a success."

Naruto whistled.

"Wow. Jiji definitely pulled out the stops for this one." Naruto mused before addressing the group. "Alright. I have no problems taking you with me. Do you have the necessary supplies?"

Tenten patted the oversize storage scroll on her lap.

"I got it. I have enough supplies to last a week but Hokage-sama gave me enough money to last us for a year if needed." she answered.

"I don't mind dishing out the money for you guys so let's make this work. The money the Hokage gave you will only involve your supplies. I'll handle the expenses incurred for this trip in terms of lodging or entertainment. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." agreed Tenten since she really didn't like bringing a large amount of money with her, not used to being financially opulent at the moment. Really, a million ryo can make any rookie Genin nervous.

"Are you sure that is wise, Asakura-sama?" Neji asked respectfully. Thanks to Naruto allowing Neji to talk to his father's spirit, the Branch Member prodigy now knows the truth of what happened when his father was killed. He no longer has the stick up his ass and was now respectful to the Main Branch members. He still harbored some hatred to Kumo for causing his father's death but that was understandable.

"Don't worry about me, Neji. I have enough money to keep us happy for ten years if I want to." Naruto said with a grin before it was replaced with a frown. "I guess Kumo is off my travel plans then. I was planning to visit the place for an experience in their many hot springs."

"You planned to go to Kumo just to visit their hot springs?" Kakashi asked Naruto who nodded. He giggled perversely causing Naruto's eyebrow to twitch in annoyance.

"Ero Kakashi!"

"Mah mah. Relax, Naruto-kun. I didn't mean anything by that." Kakashi placated the twitching teen.

"Of course you don't. So, do you guys have any suggestions for a week-long rest and relaxation?" Naruto asked the two Jounin since they were a well-traveled bunch being Jounins. Well, in Kakashi's case, former ANBU.

"Well, if you want to relax then why don't we go to Tanzaku Gai? There should be a festival there right now so there's plenty of fun to go around. The town also has a few hot springs for relaxation if you want to give it a try, not as opulent as the ones in Kumo but should be good enough for the group." Kakashi advised.

"I guess that takes care of that." Naruto agreed before looking up, noticing that it already late. "Why don't we set up camp here for the night and move out in the morning. I'll leave Kyuubi out as our guard so we can have a good night's rest."

"Thanks, brat." said Kurama who was enjoying the feel of being around nature again.

"Welcome, fox." said Naruto with a smile while watching Team 9 and Kakashi set up camp like a well-oiled machine.

* * *

Tanzaku Gai was a fun place for Naruto. This was his first time to enjoy a festival without being mobbed by the populace. Team Gai and Kakashi accompanied him since he was out in the open and a very big target for any shinobi who planned to cash out on his bounty. However, Naruto informed them that there are plenty of spirits in the crowd who'd immediately inform him if such an attack was going to occur.

Trusting his judgment, his escorts relaxed and enjoyed the festivities, especially Tenten and Lee who took advantage of the short vacation by trying out different games and food thanks to the money Naruto gave them.

It was on the third day of their stay in Tanzaku Gai that Naruto finally decided to try out the hot springs. Team 9 would be with Gai on a short training exercise on the outskirts of town while Kakashi was at the casino trying his luck. Such was the case; Naruto enjoyed the silence of the male section of the hot springs until he felt a presence from the bushes that he immediately recognize.

"Peeping again, godfather?" Naruto asked loudly to no one in particular before a curse emanated from the bushes. A tall man with white hair and a large scroll on his back popped out of the small hidey hole along the large fence separating the male and female sections of the baths.

"Quiet, gaki. I'm doing my research." said the man in annoyance as Naruto shook his head in mock resignation.

"Who knew that the Great Toad Sage Jiraiya of the Sannin is a peeping pervert." Naruto mocked with a amused smile on his lips. He already met the man a year after he manifested his shamanic abilities. He was introduced as his godfather but couldn't take care of him due to the his spy network all over the Elemental Countries. Naruto forgave the man since he understood the concept of sacrifice above everything else.

"I'm not a pervert!" said Jiraiya in indignation. "I'm a SUPER PERVERT!"

"Fine fine." Naruto said in a dismissive manner. "Why don't you join me, godfather? It's been quite a while since we saw each other so this is a good time to catch up."

"Fine." said Jiraiya in resignation. He exited the male baths for a few minutes before coming back out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He entered the warm water beside Naruto and sighed in contentment. "What brings you here, gaki? It's a bad time for you to be out and about right now."

"I'm not surprised that you know of my entry in the Bingo Book." Naruto said calmly before he realized something. "You were the one who sent the information to Konoha, didn't you?"

"Of course. I always keep an extra ear out for any information about you, especially when you became open with your abilities as a shaman. One of my trusted spies in Kumo reported this to me and I immediately sent the information to Konoha."

"Why not tell jiji directly about it? Ibiki found out first only after he got an updated Bingo Book before informing the Hokage." Naruto questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"My spies cannot openly reveal themselves to the public, gaki, and if you think about it, you'll understand why." This got a nod of understanding from Naruto. "The only way for the news to reach the old man is to send it to ANBU. This way, the information is readily available while making sure that my spies' identities are kept hidden." A wry grin appeared on the Toad Sage's face. "My spies reported that the entire Konoha military is arming themselves to the teeth to protect their favorite shaman. You definitely work fast, brat."

Naruto blushed. His few years of helping the shinobi connect with their departed loved ones endeared him to them. He was not only a commodity, but a respected figure as well.

"Understood. So what have you been doing for the past couple of years?" Naruto asked in curiosity after he got over his embarrassment.

"Sensei tasked me to track down Tsunade and bring her back to the village. I am here waiting for one of my spies to contact me regarding her location. She was here last week but moved on after the big casino event." Jiraiya told the boy before snickering.

"She lost again, I take it?" Naruto asked rhetorically, an amused smile on his face. Tsunade's reputation as the Legendary Sucker overshadowed her status as the Legendary Medic.

"No bets. He was cleaned out before running out of town with the mafia right on her heels for owing them money." Jiraiya snickered before he turned serious. "Will you be staying here long?"

"I'm not sure. I'll stay for a few more days, around two I guess, before moving on to my next destination once I decided where." Naruto answered.

"If that is the case, can you come with me to find Tsunade? I have a gut feeling that your bloodline is going to be a big help in persuading her to return to the village."

"Oh? How so?"

"Do you know why Tsunade left?"

Naruto shook his head.

"No I don't but I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway."

"Damn right. Anyway, Tsunade left the village when her lover, Dan, and her brother, Nawaki, died during the war. She never forgave Konoha for their death and took the life of a wandering gambler, vowing never to return to the village. I was thinking maybe you could call on Dan and Nawaki's spirit to get through to her and persuade her to return."

"I can do that but I need to determine where those two are. Do you know where they died?"

"Can't you just call on them or something?" Jiraiya questioned before Naruto shook his head in negative.

"It doesn't work that way. Some spirits roam the land if their death were natural, they can either move on or roam the lands as they wished. This was why quite a lot of shinobi in Konoha had to take me to where their friends or relatives died in order for me to reach out to them. Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama both died in the village so their spirits roam Konoha, protecting it even after their deaths. In Dan and Nawaki's case, their spirit should be where they died – in the battlefield if I hazard a guess." Naruto added the last part with certainty.

"That's not good. Dan and Nawaki died in Iwa, or more specifically, the place where they were ambushed by Iwa ANBU during the Great Third Shinobi War." Jiraiya revealed in a worried tone making Naruto wince.

"Iwa huh. They have a bounty on my head so going there is going to be quite risky." Naruto mused before testing Jiraiya's resolve. "Are you sure you want me to call those two to get through to Tsunade?"

"As it stands, only those two can break the emotional barrier Tsunade created around her heart when they died. If nothing else, it should give her a semblance of closure and return to the village." Jiraiya told him in a determined voice.

"Fine. We'll leave when you know Tsunade's location. I have a feeling that this is going to turn into a wild goose chase." Naruto muttered before perking up. "Hey, this is a great way to decide my next destination. I'll just enjoy our every stop as we search for your wayward teammate."

"You're definitely correct there. I just hope this doesn't drag too long since I am way behind on my next novel." Jiraya said with a bit of a whine.

"Of course. We don't want to upset your fan base now, wouldn't we?" Naruto said dryly. "If anything else, Kakashi will practically wring my neck for delaying such a wonderful work of art from being spread to the masses."

"I feel the love." Jiraiya swooned making Naruto wretch.

"Ero-sennin." Naruto muttered before an idea hit him. "Since we are going to be here for a while, care to help me perfect my taijutsu style? I'm still working out the kinks and I need all the help I can get for this trip since I don't want to use my shamanic abilities if I can help it."

Jiraiya shrugged.

"Sure, why not? We can do that afterwards. I'll invite Kakashi along to train you to handle multiple opponents. You're style is good, easily low-Jounin level, but your woefully inept in the experience department."

Naruto nodded, not bothering to correct his godfather's assessment of his skills. Jiraiya might be a pervert of epic proportions; however, he is a Sannin, an S-rank shinobi, and a powerful Sage. The two lapsed into a companionable silence as they enjoyed the brief respite from the harsh reality of shinobi life, both immersed in their respective thoughts.

* * *

It was two days later that one of Jiraiya's spies finally had a lead on Tsunade's whereabouts. According to the spy, Tsunade and his group composed of her assistant, Shizune, and pet pig, Tonton, were on their way to The Land of Birds for the poker tournament that would start in two weeks. Jiraiya was happy with the information since they had plenty of time to retrieve Dan and Nawaki's spirit before joining Tsunade. It would be a pain to find her again since she was elusive and random in her destination.

It was three days of travel that the group finally found themselves in a desolate wasteland at the edge of Iwa's border. This was the place where the Yondaime massacred the detachment of Iwa shinobi that served as the debut of his alias, the Yellow Flash. Naruto sadly watched the desolate landscape, sensing negative emotions surrounding the place like a cocoon. Despite this, he was able to pick up quite a few who were holding on to their positive energies despite the evil that surrounded them.

"They are here." Naruto whispered thought he group heard him clearly. "Their souls are crying out since they couldn't find a way to escape this life."

"Couldn't they just move on?" asked Tenten. When Naruto was introduced as a shaman, the Academy included a short curriculum teaching them what they needed to know about shamans, their importance, their basic abilities, and the nature of spirits. This was considered a basic knowledge for Konoha shinobi because of Naruto's presence.

Naruto shook his head as he gave Tenten a smile.

"They can but they couldn't. The negative energies in the area stops them from leaving. The only way for them to move on is for a shaman to cleanse the area." explained Naruto before sensing a dozen powerful signatures coming in from the east. "I can do it easily but it is impossible at this moment." He turned to Jiraiya and the two Jounins. "We have a company if twelve converging on our location, due east. ETA is 5 minutes."

"How strong?" Jiraiya said grimly.

"Jounin-level on par with Kakashi and Gai." Naruto reported after a brief silence, concentrating on the incoming signature.

"Can you give an ID on who they are?" asked Gai without his usual quirk, taking the fight seriously at the onset.

"No, I can't since I'm not familiar with the area. The spirits here won't give me any information so I can safely say that we are going to be facing some Elites from Iwa." Naruto warned the group as he raised his hand. _**"Kurama! Spirit Ball Mode."**_ He then placed the bijuu's spirit in his staff while envisioning the amount of chakra he wanted his partner to have. _**"Oversoul! Kyuubi no Yoko!"**_

In a burst of light, Kurama appeared behind the group though it was quite obvious that he was larger compared to the last time he was brought out. The bijuu noticed the amount of chakra his partner gave him.

"**Four tails, kit?"** questioned Kurama, his tails writhing in anticipation since he could sense the tense atmosphere surrounding the group.

"Twelve Iwa Elite." Naruto answered the fox. "I want you to stay with the Genins while they provide cover fire. If you think they are out of danger, come in with everything you got. We need to finish this as soon as possible before Iwa realizes our presence. I sense this is merely a scouting group instead of an attack squad."

"**Why don't I just use an Imari to blast them out of the way or use SoF to burn them to ash?"** Kurama asked with the Genins agreeing with him.

"I can't since using SoF in full OS mode would alert Iwa to our presence. That is the reason why I restricted you to four tails." explained Naruto as he called on SoF and OS'd him into sword form. "We don't want a war on our hands since this a retrieval mission."

"**Understood partner."** said Kurama as the Genins took a defensive position around him.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Naruto-kun?" asked Kakashi worriedly as he raised his headband to reveal his spinning Sharingan while Gai took out his tonfa.

"Don't worry about me, Kakashi. If I can spar with Jiraiya for 30 minutes while he goes all out then I can keep myself safe from Iwa Elites." Naruto assured the man. He might not have been able to beat Jiraiya without his techniques but was as sure as hell could stand up to Iwa's pride easily with minimal use of his shamanic abilities. "They're here!"

Right on cue, twelve Iwa Jounins materialized in front of them with sick grins on their faces.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" said the apparent leader with a sadistic smirk on his face that placed the Konoha group on alert.

* * *

**End of chapter 7. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM me for suggestions and critics.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi, folks. Sorry for the somewhat delayed update for Shaman of Konoha. I'm quite swamped with work so I barely have time to write even if the chapter are short (yes, I consider chapters below 10k words as short). I hope to clear my backlogs next week so I can start writing in earnest. **

**For now, enjoy Chapter 8. **

**For those who don't like the story, please don't read. I don't think its that hard to close the window. Flaming is a waste of your and my time. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: I'm Not A Coward!**

"Shit. They're the Rock Biter Brigade." Jiraiya cursed when he recognized the group in front of them.

"Damn." murmured Kakashi as he prepared himself for the worst.

"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" Naruto asked in confusion. Sure, these guys were pretty powerful considering how potent their chakra were but he didn't know why the three veterans in his group were cursing, well, except for Gai anyway since he was grinning.

"The Rock Biter Brigade is a special branch of Iwa ANBU. This branch is composed of twelve A-rank level Jounins trained by the Sandaime Tsuchikage as part of his bodyguards." Jiraiya explained as he assessed the situation. "However, what worries me is their presence here. Are they here since they noticed our arrival or did the Onoki sent them specifically after us?"

"That would be the former, Jiraya of the Sannin." said the leader of the group. "The Tsuchikage doesn't know that we are here and we are using his resources to track Asakura Naruto down. It's also a bonus that he happens to be the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. I don't know how he got the beast out of his seal but we'll get the information out of him in due time."

"So all this is because you want me?" Naruto asked incredulously. "How in the world did you track us all the way out here?"

"We have a talented sensor trailing after you since you left Tea Country. The sensor picked up your trail from quite a distance so you won't be able to sense his presence. We were able to determine your location when he reported your location near the border." the leader said with a triumphant smirk. "I don't know why you came here, Konoha Scums, but Tsuchikage-sama would be very pleased to bring home the bodies of Konoha's elites."

"_Damn! If there is a sensor keeping track of us then I can't reveal all my abilities. I'm sure the sensor already picked up on Kurama's chakra but there's no helping it now." _Naruto thought, cursing himself for being stupid, thinking that they could enter Iwa without being detected. "I guess this is unavoidable."

"Enough talk. Die!" screamed the leader as the twelve elites charged at them with manic ferocity. However, Jiraiya was already speeding through hand seals before slamming his hand on the rocky ground.

"_**Doton: Swamp of the Underworld!"**_

A large swamp materialized beneath the attacking group's feet but they were able to jump out of the way before it could trap them. However, Jiraiya's plan was already a success since the swamp's reason was to force them to separate.

The trio marked their respective opponents before speeding off, intent on ending this farce before it could escalate further.

* * *

Kakashi saw one of the Iwa Jounins away from the main group so he attacked the person hoping that he could bring the man down before he could regroup. He engaged the man in a taijutsu fight but the Iwa Jounin was already on the defensive as they traded blows without scoring a direct hit.

He ducked from a punch and used his crouching position to sweep at the man's feet. However, the Jounin saw through his counter and jumped to avoid it. Kakashi, however, use the opportunity to use the momentum to bring himself to a handstand and did a twister kick that hit the man on the face, throwing him back.

"Damn you, Konoha scum." the Jounin barked with hate as he sped through hand seals. _**"Doton: Earth Missile Barrage."**_

Rocks the size of a man's head shot out of the ground in front of the Iwa Jounin towards Kakashi who was already finishing up a defensive technique. He slammed his hand on the ground and released his chakra.

"_**Doton: Earth Encampment Wall."**_

A dome of earth covered Kakashi that effectively blocked the incoming projectile. However, the Iwa Jounin saw his chance as he disappeared in a burst of speed to appear on top of the wall before punching at the top of the protective half-sphere.

"_**Doton: Earth Shatter Impact!"**_the man snarled before hitting the top of the protective dome with a Doton chakra enhanced punch, shattering it and burying Kakashi underneath the heavy rubble. The Iwa Elite smirked before sensing something underneath causing him to jump back just in time to avoid a hand that was about to latch on to his ankle.

"Impressive, Kakashi. As expected of an A-rank shinobi." said the nameless Jounin with a smirk as he saw Kakashi phase out of the ground, panting from exertion. "Already tired?" he mocked the man before tensing when he heard a voice behind him.

"Nope. Just getting started." said the real Kakashi behind his opponent as the shadow clone dispersed. _**"Doton: Earth Shatter Impact"**_

The Iwa Jounin screamed as he felt Kakashi's Doton powered punch smack into his back, destroying his spine. However, his scream was cut off when Kakashi finished the man off by using the same technique to blow up the man's head.

"Thanks for the technique." said Kakashi with a smile since he copied it from the man when he used his shadow clone to pretend to bring the man down while he himself use the same technique to appear behind his opponent. He looked to where the battle was raging and decided to help Naruto since he was facing three Jounins all by himself.

* * *

Despite being a Sannin, Jiraiya knew that facing five A-rank shinobi would give him a run for his money. He dodged an axe kick that shattered the rocky ground while he bit his thumb before speeding through hand seals. He slammed his bloodied hand on the ground causing a seal matrix to appear on the floor.

_**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**_

Jiraiya was covered in a large smoke screen before it dispersed to reveal a large toad carrying a Sasumata and an overlarge saucer as a shield. The Toad Sage was on top of its head, his eyes never leaving the five Iwa Jounins below.

"Jiraiya!" said the toad before looking around. "Why are you picking a fight with Iwa?"

"Sorry, Gamaken. They were the one who attacked us and I brought you out to help. Can you keep them occupied while blocking their jutsus while I pick them off one by one?"

"I'll try but you know how clumsy I am." Gamaken agreed as he slammed his Satsumata on the ground where the five Jounins once stood before they dodged the incoming attack. He turned to the three on his left and attacked while Jiraiya took the two on the right.

Jiraiya blocked a kick before latching on to the appendage and twirled the man around before slamming him on the ground. "Rasengan!" He created a ball of chakra on his hand before slamming it on the man's stomach causing him to scream before dying. He jumped away from the corpse to avoid an oversized maze that threatened to smash his head to a pulp.

"Damn you, Toad Sage!" screamed the mace-wielding Iwa nin as he attacked again with Jiraiya easily avoiding the heavy weapon.

"You know, You Iwa nins should learn to expand your vocabulary. Since the start of this fight, I heard nothing but 'Damn you' and 'Die'. You need to be more creative." taunted Jiraiya as he continued to dodge out of the way before using his gauntleted hand to backhand the large mace before punching at the man's chest with a chakra-enhanced fist. He flipped back just in time to avoid a sweep kick from behind, grabbed the man's head and slamming it on the ground.

"_**Doton: Earth Spear."**_ the mace-wielding man's exposed skin turned black resulting from the activation of the defensive technique, making his skin as hard as diamonds. With his jutsu active, the Iwa nin attacked Jiraiya who smirked.

"Ah, a defensive technique that covers your body in compressed chakra, turning it to metal as hard as diamond." said Jiraiya as he swept a punch aside instead of blocking it since the technique also enhances a person's strength when active. "However, such technique has a glaring weakness." he finished before kicking the man on the chest that threw him back before speeding through hand seals. He blurred from his spot and appeared with a solid grip on the man's arms. _**"Raiton: Depth Charge."**_

Pure Raiton chakra enveloped Jiraiya and the transformed Iwa nin but the latter was screaming in pain as electricity was easily conducted by his metallic body, electrocuting him to death.

Jiraiya ended the technique and letting go of the charred corpse he was holding. He turned to see the last of his opponent shaking his head to get rid of the disorientation after being smacked on the ground. He turned his head a bit to see Gamaken down to one opponent, effectively blocking a dragon construct made of compressed rocks with his shield before shattering it with his Satsumata.

"I guess I better end this now." Jiraiya mused when he saw Naruto being engaged by four Iwa shinobi while Gai brought down one of his two opponents with a Lotus. He winced since that technique was quite powerful.

* * *

Naruto cursed as he used his SoF sword to keep his enemies at a distance. Sure he was skilled but there was nothing easy about facing four of Iwa's elite. Since he was limiting his arsenal, this was turning into one big headache for him.

"Afraid to fight back?" mocked the leader of the group as he tried to get into Naruto's guard to destroy the teen. Despite being a bit clumsy with the sword, the shaman was using it effectively to keep his distance against the four of them.

"How can I fight back when you bozos don't give me the time to do so?" Naruto growled as he flipped back to avoid a hand that was about to latch onto his ankles. He recognized the technique since Kakashi loved to use it on him during their many spars. He righted himself and plunged his sword to the ground while releasing a burst of Furyoku causing the blade to release a burst of flame that incinerated the ground while creating a ring of defensive fire around him, keeping his attackers at bay. They heard a scream as the underground Jounin phased out of the rocky floor with his hands charred beyond recognition.

"So this is the extent of the Shaman of Konoha? How sad." the leader mocked again making Naruto twitch from behind his flame barrier. "You're nothing but a fucking coward!"

Naruto growled. He really hated being called a coward. He survived Konoha mobs and lived to tell the tale damn it.

"No one…no one calls me a coward!" Naruto roared as a pillar of white energy surrounded him. The SoF sword dematerialized before reforming into its true form, looming behind Naruto as it leveled an intense glared at the now fearful Iwa nins. "You want me to fight back then let me accommodate your request. _**SPIRIT OF FIRE! ARMOR OVERSOUL! KUROBINA!"**_

* * *

Jiraiya cursed loudly when he saw Naruto bring out SoF. He jumped onto Gamaken's head and beckoned for the large toad to converge on the Genin's location.

"What is happening, Jiraiya?" Gamaken asked nervously as it stood beside the Kyuubi without a hint of fear. Naruto was kind enough to explain to the Toad Sage about the Kyuubi being his oversoul, who in turn, relayed it to the toads through the elders.

"Naruto is pissed. If he is doing what I think he's doing then we need to make sure that the Genins are protected."

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"He is going to use one of his most powerful techniques." Jiraiya said with a smirk. "The Rock Biter Brigade won't know what hit them."

"**This is going to be a blast!"** Kurama quipped as he eyed the battle hungrily.

* * *

Kakashi heard Naruto shout his technique making him curse. He immediately grabbed Gai before sprinting back to their original location in between the Kyuubi and Gamaken.

"What are you doing, Kakashi? We need to help, Asakura-sama!" Gai protested as he tried to remove Kakashi's iron grip from his shoulder.

"Trust me, Gai. You don't want to be within range of Naruto with what he is about to do." Kakashi told his fellow Jounin.

"What do you mean?" Gai asked in confusion as he watched the SoF transform around Naruto, forming an armor before the boy floated off the ground.

"Well, you keep talking about flames of youth. Well, you're going to see firsthand how powerful Naruto's flames can be."

* * *

Naruto growled as glared at the group in front of him with hatred in his eyes. In a burst of speed, he flew down with his armor claws outstretched. One of the Jounins wasn't fast enough to dodge as he got skewered on the stomach before being burned to ash. He didn't bother turning as one of his clawed hands casually swatted aside a large earth spear before using the same hand to launch a fireball at the group.

The leader flipped through hand seals before slamming his hand on the ground.

_"**Doton: Earth Wall!"**_

A large wall of compressed earth intercepted the fireball causing a large explosion that destroyed the construct easily but didn't pack enough power to damage the Jounins who cowered behind it.

"Enough!" Naruto shouted as he flew above the group as the two pillars on his back extended before placing itself on his shoulder, the tips glowing a menacing red as his Furyoku charged for his next attack. _**"Onibi!"**_

Twin beams of intense heat and spirit energy fired off from the tips of the pillars at great speed before impacting the area where the Iwa nins were. The attack was so powerful that it caused a large shockwave that spread over a large area while shaking the earth. The dust and debris kicked up by the impact dispersed to reveal a large crater easily thirty feet deep and a hundred meters wide.

Naruto growled when he saw the leader of the Rock Biter Brigade phase out of the ground a hundred meters away from the crater. From the looks of it, the leader abandoned his team to survive. He flew down within earshot of the escapee.

"Leaving your team to die? You're lower than scum." Naruto growled hatefully.

"Ha! Survival of the fittest, brat. The strong lives while the weak dies." the Jounin spat though his bravado was marred by the fearful look in his eyes.

"Then you're not fit to live, coward! Die!" said Naruto as he sped towards the Jounin at top speed and sliced the man into three pieces using his claws. He turned around before releasing a fireball that burned the remains of the leader of the group to ashes. "You're right, the weak dies and you're weak!"

* * *

"**You brought me out and didn't even let me fight."** whined Kurama as the group had a small meeting after the battle. The Genins were in awe at Naruto who displayed power that none of them could ever hope to attain. Tenten was practically raping Naruto's armored form with her eyes when he approached the group with Kurobina still active.

"I brought you out to protect, not to fight." Naruto snapped, still irritated for being called a coward.

"**What got your panties in a twist?" **

"Shut it you."

"**Well?" **asked Kurama, not giving in.

"Fine. The leader called me a coward." Naruto spat in absolute hate.

"**Ah. That explains it."** Kurama nodded as if that explained everything.

Jiraiya joined the group after he and Gai tied up the survivors while disposing the corpses.

"Good work, gaki. A bit excessive but good work all the same." Jiraiya praised his godson.

"Thanks, godfather." said Naruto as he undid Kurobina before looking at Kurama. "I'm going to return you to the seal. With the amount of power I used for Onibi, I'm sure Iwa knows of our presence now."

Kurama nodded before Naruto canceled the oversoul. The Kyuubi disappeared to be replaced by a staff which Naruto easily caught when it started to fall. He pulled out two small wooden grave markers with Nawaki and Dan's name when he asked for them from Jiraiya.

"I'm going to start cleansing the land and ask for Nawaki and Dan's spirit to travel with us." Naruto told the group. "Make sure that we are ready to depart immediately when I'm done. You decide what to do with the prisoners."

With that, Naruto walked away towards the area where he sensed two strong sources of positive emotions. If those weren't his target then he would have to search.

* * *

"Are you sure he'll be alright alone?" asked Tenten worriedly as he watched Naruto walk into the barren wasteland.

"He'll be fine. Besides, I don't think it is a good idea for us to venture into the barrens right now." Jiraiya told the girl who looked at him in surprise.

"Why? There's nothing but rocks out there. Besides, what if there are more Iwa nins hiding in those rocks? He might need our help."

"Relax, Tenten." Gai assured his charge. "Jiraiya-sama is right. The place where he is going is not for us?"

"Can you explain this to us, Gai-sensei?" asked Lee.

"You see, there is a reason why this area is a barren wasteland." Gai began his tale. "The area where we are right now is the boundary of a place now dubbed as the Wasteland of Lost Souls. According to rumors, the place is inhabited by the vengeful spirits killed by Yondaime-sama when he saved a detachment of Konoha shinobi from an ambush, thus giving him the alias Yellow Flash."

Jiraiya nodded seriously.

"Gai is right. Anyone who enters the place goes insane." Jiraiya told the Genins who looked at him in shock. "Why do you think this place is still a wasteland despite being a great spot for a trading town or a settlement? The vengeful spirits in the area torments those who ventures into their territory. Various priests tried to exorcise the spirits or calm them to no avail."

Kakashi picked up the narrative.

"Until now, that is. Naruto is the only shaman that can use techniques to bring those vengeful souls to rest. If we go with him right now, he'd be hard-pressed to protect us while getting rid of them. That is why we should stay here and wait. Besides, with the power he showed us earlier, do you think anyone can stand up to him especially when he's in a bad mood?"

"That reminds me. Why is Naruto-kun so angry when the Iwa nin called him a coward? Kyuubi seems to know the reason since he accepted it immediately." Gai mused before turning to a sad Kakashi. "Do you know the story behind that, my rival?"

"It's not my secret to tell, Gai. That is a sensitive topic and only Naruto can tell you that." Kakashi said sadly. "Alright, let's get things ready. We are going to get out of here as soon as Naruto is done with his mission."

* * *

Naruto couldn't help but be amazed at the number of vengeful spirits in the area. These were not your ordinary souls, these were empowered souls hell bent on destroying the living. He immediately brought out SoF and ordered his GS to start devouring those with negative emotions. He could practically sense the glee from his GS when he sent that order through their mental link.

While SoF was stuffing his face full of souls, Naruto was concentrating on the faint energies he was looking for. Annoyed that this was taking so long, he raised a hand to his chest while forming his hand into a sign to ward off evil. He started to chant as a glow of pure Furyoku swirled around him, picking up speed until he spoke the last sentence of the mantra for banishing the negative souls to the afterlife.

"_**Omnyoudou Mahou: Spirit Destruction!"**_

The Furyoku around him stopped moving before moving outward. Any vengeful soul it passed through were sent to the afterlife, their wail of anger echoing before disappearing into the unknown. The spell continued to spiral outwards until the last soul was cleansed before cancelling the spell. He sighed in relief since the spell took a lot of spiritual energy to pull off. Despite his Furyoku levels, the spell was a high-level one and only powerful shamans could perform it.

Naruto found himself surrounded by the smiling souls of Konoha shinobi. He returned their smile before deciding to get this over and done with.

"Dan Katou and Senju Nawaki, please come forward." The aforementioned spirits came out of the group, standing before Naruto with questioning looks on their faces. "I am currently on a mission. I need you two to help Tsunade get over her grief and persuade her to return to Konoha." Naruto told the spirits.

"_Eh? Nee-chan deserted Konoha?"_ Nawaki asked in surprise.

"_Seems like it. I didn't know that our deaths affected her so much."_ Dan said with a thoughtful frown on his face. _"Shaman-sama, could you take us to her?"_

"That is the reason why I'm here. I wanted to ask you first since I don't like to force spirits to do my bidding." Naruto told the duo who grinned.

"_Well, you have our permission. Please take us to nee-chan so I can smack some sense into her."_ Nawaki exclaimed, his fist rose in determination.

Dan chuckled.

"_You're going to do a lot more than smacking to get Tsunade to change her mind. He is quite bullheaded you know." _Dan said in amusement.

"_Oh don't worry. I know how to push her buttons."_ Nawaki said in glee before turning to Naruto who was looking at the two with mild amusement. _"Ne, shaman-sama, how are you going to take us to her?"_

Naruto pulled out the two small tablets he fashioned earlier with their names on it.

"I'll use a technique to bind your souls into these tablets. I will release you and give you temporary bodies once we find Tsunade. I hope you don't mind."

"_We don't mind, shaman-sama, and thank you."_ said Dan with a smile.

"_Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"_ exclaimed Nawaki before he was conked on the head by Dan. _"Ow! What did you do that for?"_

"_Please have a little respect for shaman-sama, Nawaki-kun."_ Dan chided the boy.

"_Fine."_ Nawaki pouted before looking at Naruto with a grin. _"Can you take us to nee-chan now, shaman-sama?"_

"I have no problems with that." said Naruto as he raised his hand and channeled a bit of Furyoku. _**"Dan Katou, Senju Nawaki, Spirit Ball Mode!"**_ as if on command the two spirits shrunk into balls with their faces and hairstyle on it. They floated over to Naruto's outstretched hand before being guided over their respective tablets. _**"Hyoi Gattai!"**_ The two entered the tablets which glowed a bit before returning to normal.

Naruto sighed before turning his attention to the other spirits as he tucked the tablets into his sash.

"Do you want me to send you all to the afterlife?" he asked the spirits who nodded eagerly, wanting to move on to the next great adventure.

* * *

**End of chapter 8. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM if you have suggestions.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here we go. Another chapter for Shaman of Konoha. Sorry took a while to get this out, busy week and busier next week. Dang. Oh well, life goes on. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Finding Tsunade**

* * *

Naruto grunted as he received a painful punch to the stomach from Jiraiya that threw him back. He ignored the pain in his gut as he regained his balance, going back into a defensive position of Seireiken – right hand forward, palm open to catch or divert any blows, left hand cocked to his hips for quick attacks, left leg forward while he back leg bracing itself for both dodging and balance.

They were on the road for two days now going towards the Bird Country where Tsunade was currently holed up for a poker tournament. Due to Naruto's insistence, they made a stop midway to their destination for him and Jiraiya to have a bit of a training session – taijutsu only.

Despite being a powerful shaman, Naruto was also well-versed in martial arts but his body couldn't catch up to his knowledge of Seireiken – Hao's style of hand-to-hand combat inspired by the elements.

Such was the case; the only way to counter this was to face stronger opponent to hone his strength, reflexes, and fighting instincts while gaining experience.

Naruto and Jiraiya were currently going at it while Kakashi, Gai, and Genins of Team 9 where watching from a safe distance.

"You're getting better, Naruto. You don't take that long to recover from a blow and you're defensive stance is quite good." comment Jiraiya as he studied Naruto's form. His Seireiken was a formidable taijutsu after the blonde informed him of its intricacies. The form itself was categorized into different separate parts for offense, defense, evasion, counterattack, and endurance. If Naruto perfect this style then he would be a demon in the battlefield without his shamanic abilities.

"I'm getting better but not perfect yet, godfather." Naruto retorted as he lunged, releasing a barrage of palm thrusts and fists at Jiraiya who was on the defensive, dodging or blocking the blows to gauge Naruto's attack and to find holes he could exploit. To his chagrin, he couldn't find any so he was forced to continue to block and evade until the boy makes a mistake.

Naruto overextended a palm thrust that Jiraiya exploited. The Toad Sage grabbed Naruto's wrist and casually threw him over his shoulder though Naruto was ready as he flipped gracefully in the air and landed on his feet without a sound before charging at Jiraiay again to continue his attack.

The two continued the spar for fifteen more minutes before Jiraiya was able to throw Naruto to the ground, grappled an arm that was becoming too painful to ignore.

"Alright. I give." said Naruto, sighing in relief when Jiraiya let go of his arm. The pain subsided but it was still there when the experienced shinobi pulled at it. "How did I fare this time?"

"Not bad. As you said, you are getting better but your style is far from perfect. You need to be more unpredictable since you tend to switch from offense to defense , evade then back to attack. If you want to master Seireiken then you need to switch between your stances in a split second to leave the enemy unbalance while focusing a bit more on speed and accuracy since you're lacking in those two." Jiraiya noted as he held out a hand to help Naruto off the ground. "All in all, I would say you are mid to high Chuunin in taitjutsu. I didn't rate you high enough since you need more strength, speed, and precision. I suggest weight training if given the chance and continuous sparring to develop your accuracy and movement flow."

"I'll keep that in mind." Naruto said dryly as he swung his arms around to get the stiffness out of his muscles. "Our fight with the Rock Biter Brigade was an eye opener for me. If I want to be a powerful shaman then I need to better protect myself without depending on my shamanic techniques since it is quite possible that there is someone out there who has the power to negate it. Sure, it gets the job done faster but I see it as a crutch than an actual victory."

"You're thinking like a shinobi, gaki." Jiraiya smirked. "Thinking of changing careers?"

"Hardly. I'm happy being a shaman but I can't deny the fact that doing missions has its appeal." Naruto said with a smile. "Maybe I'll ask jiji for some out-of-the-village missions once in a while. Being a shaman can be boring. Our trip and fight at the Iwa border to retrieve Dan and Nawaki's spirit was a rush that I wouldn't mind doing again."

"That it does. Nothing gets the blood flowing than a few good fights." Jiraiya said sagely. "I'm sure sensei wouldn't mind putting you on a team though I'm sure that he'll place you on a Genin team first to train your ability to work in a team. You'll move up the ranks as you gain experience."

"I'll talk to jiji about it once I get back to the village. " Naruto quipped as they made their way back to the group who was already setting up camp since it was already getting late. Time sure flies when you're getting your ass handed back to you. "Any news from your spy network?"

"Tsunade is still in Bird Country. She is staying in a hotel called Birds of Paradise which is beside the casino where the poker tournament is going to be held. Since we already know of her location, it wouldn't take that long to meet up with her." Jiraiya answered.

"That's good. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can back to my travels." Naruto said happily. The trip to find Tsunade was fun and all but it was tiring since this was similar to a mission. Not his idea of fun but the fights were welcome.

"Where are you going afterwards?" Jiraiya asked in curiosity.

"I'm not sure. I was thinking maybe Demon Country. I heard there is a shrine there dedicated to a priestess with the ability to see the future. It is somewhat similar to shamanic divination so I want to see if she is the same as me." Naruto admitted as they reached the camp and rummaged around the pack he bought from the trade station a few miles back for a fresh towel. He got one for himself and another for Jiraiya who accepted it gratefully.

"Ah. I visited the country a few times when I started my spy network. Nothing much to see if you're sightseeing but the shrine is definitely a good place to visit. In fact, her ability to foretell the future is absolute and has saved the country a few times in the past." Jiraiya told Naruto who listened in apt interest. "I also heard that she has the ability to exorcise evil spirits so it is quite possible she is a shaman like yourself."

"Great." Naruto grinned. "Any idea how to get to Demon Country?"

Jiraiya thought for a bit, recalling the geography before answering.

"The easiest way to get there is to take a ship from Tea Country to Nagi Island. From there, you take a merchant's ship to Demon Country. If you luck out then I suggest you rent a vessel instead. Considering how rich you are, I don't think you'll have problems getting one for your use."

"How long will it take to go there by boat?" Naruto asked, wincing a bit at the idea of staying long at sea. He had no problems with boats but it would be very boring doing nothing but staying on the boat.

"Tea Country to Nagi Island would take three days at most if the weather holds. From there to Demon Country, it should take two to three days. So give or take a week if the weather cooperates."

Naruto sighed. A week at sea is going to be pretty boring. He might have to buy some books at Tea Country or Nagi Island to give him something to do. He perked up when he realized that he still has to study about chakra since he can use Kurama's chakra to supplement his inability to mold his own.

"I guess there's no helping it." Naruto said while making a face making Jiraiya chuckle before patting him on the back. He was about to freshen up when the Genins of Team 9 appeared in front of him. "What can I do for you three?" he asked the trio in confusion.

"NARUTO-SAMA! PLEASE SPAR WITH US!" Lee shouted with Gai backing him up with a loud exclamation of "YOUTH!"

Naruto sighed as he nudged at the trio towards the clearing. He won't be resting anytime soon judging by the excited gleam in Team 9's eyes. An evil grin made appeared on his face. This spar might not be a good idea since he had pent up frustration from Jiraiya's tender loving care to dish out.

The evil cackle he let out scared the shit out of Team 9, making them doubt if it was a good idea to ask for a spar from the shaman of Konoha.

* * *

Bird Country is considered as minor country between Wind Country and Earth Country with the capital only quarter of the size of the capital of Fire Country. Also, Naruto was somewhat confused why the place was named Bird Country when he couldn't find any bird in sight. It was downright mind-boggling.

However, one positive note about Bird Country is its geomantic advantage. The land was positively teeming with natural energy that made him shiver. His theories were further cemented when they entered the capital and observed the wonderful alignment of the elements that made up the city.

"So, where are we going?" Naruto asked his godfather who was looking down at the capital with speculation.

"You guys are going to check in at the Birds of Paradise. Knowing Tsunade, she should either be in a casino or in a bar somewhere for a drink. I'll find her and bring her up to your room so you can have Dan and Nawaki talk to her." Jiraiya told Naruto who nodded in agreement. After all, it was not a good idea to materialize ghost in the middle of a busy street.

"Right." Naruto agreed before turning to the rest of his entourage. "Alright group, we are going to the Birds of Paradise and wait for Jiraiya. Speaking of which," he turned to Jiraiya who was preparing to leave. "Where is the hotel located anyway?"

Jiraiya pointed down to the capital.

"See that building over there with the blue roof?"

"The three story one?" asked Naruto when he followed where Jiraiya was pointing.

"Yes that's the one. That's the hotel you're looking for." Jiraiya confirmed. "The place is the most expensive in the city but I'm sure you can afford it."

Naruto glared at his godfather before sighing in resignation.

"Fine. Well, let's go! I want to take a nice long soak since we haven't stopped traveling for two days." Naruto exclaimed as he hurriedly followed the path into the city with Team 9 and Kakashi following him.

* * *

It didn't take long for Jiraiya to find Tsunade. Really, the woman's reputation as the Legendary Sucker outshined her skills in the medical field. It didn't help that it was easy to spot a woman sporting a large rack accompanied by an assistant carrying a pig. After a few inquiries, an old woman directed her to a local bar frequented by shady characters.

Jiraiya entered the establishment to find Tsunade nursing a bottle of sake. Shizune was beside her sipping tea while their pet pig, Tonton, lay sleeping on the floor.

"Tsunade! Fancy meeting you here of all places." Jiraiya loudly greeted his teammate. His loud proclamation earned him a glare from the blonde Sannin.

"What are you doing here, Jiraiya? I told you before, I will not return to Konoha no matter how much sensei begs me too." Tsunade growled before taking another long drink from the bottle.

"You're not even happy to see me, hime? I'm hurt." Jiraiya faked a hurt look on his face, one hand over his heart as if it was in pain. This earned him a sour look from the medical expert.

"Cut the crap, Jiraiya. I suggest you leave before I punt your perverted ass from here to Suna." Tsunade threatened.

"Maybe we should hear him out, Tsunade-sama." pleaded Shizune with Tonton oinking in agreement. Jiraiya sent the girl a thankful nod while the pig bristled at being ignored.

"I don't need to listen to anything he has to say." Tsunade grumbled before taking another long drink.

"Even if you're given a chance to speak to Dan and Nawaki again?" Jiraiya told the woman who crushed the bottle in her hands as her hand tightened into a fist, spraying sake all over the table.

"Don't you dare mock me, Jiraiya. My suffering is not your entertainment." growled Tsunade, her temper rising. How dare he bring up those two!

"I am not mocking you, Tsunade." said Jiraiya, no longer in a playful mood that made Tsunade quirk up an eyebrow. "I think you heard of Konoha having a shaman, correct?"

"Yeah I heard. A bunch of hogwash if you ask me." Tsunade scoffed. "I think it's a propaganda made by sensei to scare the other Elemental Nations from attacking the village.

Jiraiya shook his head in annoyance earning a startled look from Tsunade and Shizune. Jiraiya was never annoyed, perverted yes, annoyed definitely not.

"I am not joking, Tsunade. The shaman is real and has proven his skills that even the Fire Daimyo took note of it and spread his name throughout the courts of nobility."

"So you're telling me that you want me to go back to Konoha so this…shaman can bring back Dan and Nawaki? No technique can bring back the dead, Jiraiya!" Tsunade all but screamed causing Jiraiya to shake his head and took a seat beside the fuming woman.

"No. The shaman you are referring to is currently in the Birds of Paradise. We stopped by Iwa to gather the souls of Dan and Nawaki. Your fiancée and brother's spirit is currently residing in a make-shift altar and he will use his powers to manifest them for you to talk to."

"What's the purpose of calling them back?" Tsunade whispered, disbelief in her tone but there was an underlying of hope there since she really wanted to talk to her brother and lover.

"Konoha needs you, hime. Sensei needs you. He needs our help to fix Konoha and only you, the Senju Princess, can do the things that needed to be done. I have to beseech Naruto to use his skills to give you a sense of closure."

"Is that it? You did all this for me to go back to Konoha?" Tsunade glared at her former teammate. "Who is this Naruto anyway?"

"Asakura Naruto, formerly Uzumaki Naruto, is the shaman I'm talking about." Jiraiya said in a whisper earning a startled look from Tsunade. She recognized the name, hard not to, considering that she was an Uzumaki herself. "And to answer your question, sensei didn't tell me to contact Naruto for you. I was the one who asked Naruto to bring Dan and Nawaki back for a short time to talk to you. I know you are still hurting, hime, and I am only trying to help. Even if you don't return to Konoha after talking to them, that is fine. I'll be happy to know that you are back to your usual self."

Tsunade was quiet after hearing Jiraiya's words. She sniffed as a lone tear escaped her eye.

"Why are you doing this, Jiraiya?" asked Tsunade in a barely audible whisper.

"It's the least I can do for the only girl I love." Jiraiya replied before standing up from his seat and placing a wad of cash in front of the barman. "This should pay for her drinks." He turned to Tsunade who was now crying a river. "If you're interested in talking to Dan and Nawaki, hime, you know where to find me." Was all he said before leaving the bar, leaving behind a crying Tsunade being consoled by her assistant.

* * *

Naruto sat in a lotus position on his bed in a rented suite in the Birds of Paradise. He took advantage of the peace by honing his Reishi unlike Hao who didn't do a thing to gain control of the ability that eventually drove him to a path of genocide.

Reishi was the ability to feel and read the hearts of any living beings, baring the truth of their life for him to feel and read. This was the reason why Hao cast his humanity aside; constantly absorbing the negative emotions and thoughts of everyone around him caused him to snap. This started his ambition to become the Shaman King and create a world for shamans. However, thanks to Yoh and his group, Hao realized his own humanity and gave humanity a second chance.

Naruto, however, wasn't affected by the ability. Thanks to being exposed to the hate of the villagers at a young age, he adapted to it by subconsciously creating a barrier in his heart. This was one of the reasons why he didn't go berserk when his shamanic abilities activated.

Also, upon realizing this ability during his awakening as a shaman, he immediately took advantage of his year of reprieve to hone it since his Reishi is always active.

Naruto entered his center as he let his Reishi reach out to the thoughts and emotions of everyone around him. He could hear the cries of the poor, the greed of the rich, the happiness of families, and anger of the unjust. He didn't let the thoughts and emotions enter him like what Hao did. No, Naruto stopped them from entering and influencing him, choosing instead to sort through it like a person watching a movie and organizing the scenes.

The blonde shaman curiously stretched out his Reishi to the limits, astounded that it almost encompassed the entirety of the town they were staying in. He could feel Gai and Kakashi on the roof of the hotel arguing about…spandex suits? The Genins of Team 9 were in the restaurant enjoying a hearty lunch. He could feel Jiraiiya's emotions towards Tsunade, the man's unconditional love to the woman who only saw him as a friend. He understood Tsunade's heartache, the betrayal of the village when it went to war causing resulting in her brother and lover's death.

While eyes closed, Naruto frowned as he focused on Tsunade's emotions.

"_Tsunade is really a mess."_ he mentally told the spirits in front of him, Dan and Nawaki whom he brought out of their respective tablets to wait for Tsunade to come to him. _"She's lucky that all the negative emotions she bottled up didn't end up turning her into a demon. It's a good thing that you shinobi are used to strife or the Tsunade you know wouldn't exist anymore."_

"_Nee-chan has always been emotional. Did you know that she was against me being a shinobi at first?"_ Nawaki told the two, Naruto give him a mental shake of his head while Dan nodded.

"_She wasn't always that way. However, she changed when his grandfather and granduncle died. She was very close to them since her parents died when she was born."_ Dan said sadly. _"That was the main reason why she became a medic. She studied every medical text she could find and trained herself non-stop so she could save everyone she loves. I guess our death was what triggered her abandonment of Konoha."_

"_She needs a good kick, if you ask me."_ Nawaki harrumphed, his arms crossed over his chest. _"I can't believe she sucks at gambling. Grandfather and granduncle weren't that bad."_

"_As if you're any better?"_ Dan said, raising an eyebrow at the petulant ghost child beside him. _"I remember the time you lost a bet in your last year in the Academy. I think that was the reason why you came home clad onlyin your boxers."_

"_Hey! It's not my fault that they cheated in a bet."_Nawaki exclaimed in indignation.

"_They didn't cheat. The Chuunin instructor who saw the whole thing said that there was no cheating involved."_ Dan smirked. _"Admit it, Nawaki-kun, your sister is not the only one with the bad luck."_

Nawaki didn't say anything but gave the man a raspberry tongue.

"No wonder Tsunade loves you both. Despite irritating each other, you still show enough love and compassion towards your loved ones that it would scare an Oni into a conniption fit." Naruto said out loud, already done with his daily meditation and making sure that his Reishi wasn't running amuck. He got out of the bed and went to the corner to retrieve his staff. "I'm going out to do a bit of sightseeing." He told the ghosts. "Do you want to come with me?"

The two nodded as they followed Naruto who exited the room and locked the door behind him, intent on seeing the sights before meeting an emotional Tsunade later on.

* * *

**End of chapter 9. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. PM for suggestions or constructive criticisms. Flames will be used to empower SoF.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys and gals. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I am currently in an out-of-town large-scale project so my precious writing time was compromised. Expect rare to zero updates until June but I'll do my best to squeeze in a few hours for my stories. Again, I apologize for not informing you all sooner. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Girl That Can See Spirits**

* * *

Naruto was getting worried when he entered the cemetery's boundaries and was bombarded by a spiritual pressure coming from a very powerful source. He heard a rumor from a passing merchant that there was a demon residing in the place. Many ignored this as superstition but Naruto did not. Being a shaman, he knew that demons exists, or in this case, an Oni. His suspicions were confirmed when he a traveling merchant describe the spirit – a giant monstrosity with red skin and horns on its bald head.

After hearing that, Naruto thanked the merchant before making his way to the cemetery. If the description was correct then there was a powerful Oh-Oni in Bird Country.

"_Are you sure we should be here, shaman-sama?" _asked Nawaki in a scared voice. Dan didn't say anything but kept his eyes peeled for any threats since he could feel the spiritual pressure around them. He might be dead but his shinobi training was still present despite not having a physical body to do any damage.

"We shouldn't but to ensure that nothing happens to the townsfolk, I have to investigate and make sure that this threat is gone before it could harm anyone it shouldn't." said Naruto, his face locked in a grim frown.

"_What do you think it is?"_ asked Dan.

"According to the merchant's tale, the demon that resides in this cemetery is an Oh-Oni." answered Naruto but continued with an explanation when he saw the confused looks on the spirits' faces. "An Oh-Oni is a powerful spiritual being created by a shaman with no control of their powers. You saw me meditate earlier in the hotel right?" he got a nod from the two. "The reason I did that was to make sure that my power is kept in check. You see, an Oni is created when 1080 worries, hopes, and prayers materialize into a physical form from an untrained shaman. However, the one I'm hunting is no ordinary demon. An Oh-Oni is an Oni's evolved form when it eats souls that are attracted by its negative energies."

"_So you need to get rid of this…Oh-Oni to save the town?"_ asked Dan after reviewing the information.

"Yes." Naruto nodded. "However, what worries me is the creation of an Oni. Only a human with shamanic abilities can create one. After all, it is a manifestation of 1080 hopes, prayers, and worries absorbed by a single person and given form. If an Oh-Oni is here then there should be an untrained shaman nearby keeping it sustained."

"_Are you hoping to recruit this person into your family?"_ asked Nawaki, knowing that the Shaman of Konoha was looking for people like him, one of the reasons of his current trek across the Elemental Nations.

"I hope to do so if I'm not too late."

"_What do you mean too late?"_

"An Oh-Oni usually devours the human who creates it. However, an Oh-Oni is very intelligent and will often use a shaman to draw in negative energies as a power source or even treating them like a parent zealously. It could never evolve more than an Oh-Oni but it would have enough spiritual energy to make its attacks powerful if given the chance." said Naruto before he felt a large amount of Furyoku aimed at him. He slammed the butt of his staff on the ground and channeled his energy into it. A dome of solidified spirit energy appeared over the trio's heads as black tendrils slammed onto it but dissipated when made contact with the glowing barrier. Naruto removed the protection when the attack ceased. "Definitely an Oh-Oni judging from the strength of that attack."

"**You are correct, gaki."** said a voice from the mist-covered part near the center of the cemetery.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at hearing the voice before using a bit of his Furyoku to get rid of the mist. The covering dissipated to reveal an Oh-Oni. However, what caught Naruto's interest was the eight-year old girl with long black hair and wearing a tattered blue kimono on the beast's shoulder. What was more interesting was the amount of Furyoku the girl was releasing. He was inwardly giddy at finding another shaman, and a powerful one at that; such potential for one so young.

"Now that explains it." Naruto smirked as he sensed the protectiveness of the demon towards its maker. "I presume that you attack only those that threaten your mother?" he got an incredulous look from Dan and Nawaki while the Oh-Oni smirked.

"**No one will harm **_**my**_** mother again."** the Oh-Oni declares as it raised its hand, gathering what seems to be a malevolent ball of pure darkness. **"Die!"**

Waves upon waves these dark projectiles attacked Naruto who merely raised an eyebrow before the attack impacted on his location followed by a large explosion that made the ground tremble and causing dusts and debris to fly into the air diminishing the visibility.

The demon sneered at the smoke that hid the dead person that threatened to harm his mother. However, the sneer turned into shock when he saw a large clawed hand in front of a smiling Naruto who partially manifested SoF to protect him and the two spirits behind him.

"I didn't come here to fight, Oni-kun." Naruto said in amusement. "Nor did I come here to hurt _your_ mother."

"**Then why did you come here then? Everyone who comes here always try to hurt mother. This is the reason why she made **_**me**_**."** the beast bellowed as it raised a protective hand to shield the scared girl on its shoulder from any sudden attack.

"I merely came here to investigate the rumors I heard from the villagers mentioning a demon in an abandoned cemetery." said Naruto as he materialized SoF who towered over the gaping Oh-Oni easily while the girl on its shoulder looked shocked. "As you can see, I can easily destroy you if I wanted to but I didn't. However, I would like to speak to your mother."

"**Why?" **the Oh-Oni asked in suspicion, glaring at the large guardian without fear despite its overwhelming presence.

"Because if what I suspect is true then I would be able to offer her a new home, as well as help teach her about her powers."

The Oh-Oni studied Naruto before looking at SoF who was also doing the same to him. Oh-Oni couldn't help but grudgingly agree that the boy was powerful and there was no way he could protect himself and his mother at the same time if the fiery guardian attacked.

"**Fine. But if you make a wrong move, I won't hesitate to kill you." **the Oh-Oni declared in bravado.

Naruto merely nodded though he inwardly scoffed at the idea of such a minor spirit taking him down. It was ludicrous at best. He approached the Oh-Oni, ignoring the cries of Nawaki and Dan behind him. He stopped a scant few meters from the large beast before gazing at the girl who was looking down at him in fear. He could sense the negative emotions churning around the girl's heart and he couldn't help but be angry at what this girl was subjected to.

"Hello there. Is it alright if we talk a bit?" Naruto said with a smile, releasing waves of calming emotions at the girl who visibly relaxed.

"W-who a-are you?" the girl asked in a whisper though everyone in the silent cemetery heard it easily.

"My name is Asakura Naruto, a shaman, and I am from Konoha." Naruto introduced himself with a friendly smile on his face. He definitely didn't want to scare this girl since she was the first one with the ability he met and he would be damned if pushed her away by being forceful in his approach. He really wanted her to come with him to Konoha to be trained.

"S-Shaman? K-Konoha?" the girl stuttered out in confusion.

Naruto nodded as he sent a mental command to SoF. He stepped back onto the waiting palm before being lifted to the scared girl's level.

"A shaman is someone who can see and talk to spirits." said Naruto before pointing to himself and to the girl. "Both you and I are shamans. To prove that, you can see your guardian spirit and mine."

"What is a guardian spirit?" asked the girl, her fear melting away as curiosity started pouring out of her in waves. Naruto picked this up and couldn't help but chuckle.

"A guardian spirit is your protector, a being who will make sure that no harm comes to you." He explained. "So, tell me, what is your name?"

"Miaka." the girl answered with a shy smile on his face causing the Oh-Oni to chuckle.

"Nice to meet you, Miaka-chan. I hope you don't mind if you answer some questions." He got a nod from the girl. "Thank you. Now, my first question is, why are you living here in the cemetery instead of the town?"

Miaka's face turned sad.

"My parents died a year ago and I was kicked out of our home. I tried living on the streets but the kids are bullies and they keep hurting me. I started living here when I found the place since there is a nice house that keeps the cold away." said Miaki as she pointed to a run-down mausoleum behind her which definitely saw better days. "It was a few months later when I moved in that people started coming and kept throwing rocks at me. I was afraid but Tama came to my rescue one day though he changed last month from being yellow to red." she added the last part cheerfully.

Naruto nodded as he looked at _Tama_ who was puffing out his chest in pride. The Oh-Oni was definitely not the usual mass of negative emotions like the one Anna created during Yoh and Hao's lifetime, and it would seem that the girl's desire for a protector manifested a positive emotion within the demon. If her description was correct then this Oh-Oni in front of him was a month old in terms of evolution. Not bad for a first-time oversoul.

"I see. So I take it that Tama keeps you safe?"

Miaka nodded eagerly as he patted Tama's cheek making the red giant grin like a loon.

"Yes, Tama keeps the bullies away and some old people who want to take me away from my home. He also goes away for a few hours to come back with a bit of food for me to eat." Miaka said before her stomach grumbled making her wince.

"**Kaa-san, I need to go and get you some food."** Tama said but Naruto interrupted him.

"I have some food here with me, Tama-kun." said Naruto as he pulled out a paper bag from inside his kimono. He opened it before pulling out three sticks of Dango he bought in town. He gave it to Miaka who looked at it hungrily. "Here you go. Take your time eating it since I don't have any water on me to wash it down. I don't want you to choke." he warned the girl who nodded before slowly eating the snacks and chewing it meticulously as if savoring the flavor.

Naruto sat on SoF's shoulder as he watched Miaka eat. His heart ached at the suffering this girl had to go through but was amazed that she didn't break down. It solidified his decision to bring the girl with him. His morals demanded nothing less. Besides, he already saw her as a little sister to spoil. He inwardly grinned at the thought of having the little eight year old run around the Asakura compound with Tama chasing after her with Kurama chasing him. That would be a sight to see if nothing else.

"So, Miaka, as I told you earlier, do you want to come with me to Konoha? I'll take care of you and teach you how to control your powers." Naruto offered since he didn't want to take the girl against her will.

"I don't want to be a burden, Naruto-nii-san." Miaka said shyly. Naruto grinned when he heard the girl look at him like a big brother. He definitely liked the sound of it.

"You will never be a burden, Miaka-chan, and I definitely don't mind having a little sister running around the house." Naruto said with a large grin on his face.

"Can I take Tama with us? I don't want to leave him alone." Miaka asked immediately while hugging Tama's neck.

"We can take Tama with us since he is your guardian. However, I need to teach you a shaman technique so you can hide him and only call him out when you need to." Naruto mused.

"Shaman…technique?" asked Miaka in confusion.

"Yes." Naruto nodded. "You see, Tama is a being of pure spirit given solid form." He patted SoF's shoulder. "He is the same as my guardian. We are both giving our guardian a solid form using our energy. You are definitely talented since you are doing so subconsciously and very powerful if you kept it up this long." A thought occurred to him. "How long has Tama been around?"

"I'm not sure, he's been with me a week after I made a home here." Miaka said with a cute frown on his face that almost made Naruto coo.

"Definitely powerful then." Naruto murmured to himself. He made a mental note to recreate the Oracle Bell the Patch Tribe used to measure Furyoku levels. It would be a great help in teaching new shamans by determining their power levels in advance. "Tell you what, finish your food and I'll teach you how to hide Tama. When you get it done, we'll go into town and buy you some decent clothes to wear and some food to eat since I know Dango is not really that filling."

"I would love that, Naruto-nii-san." Miaka said with a huge smile on her face that warmed Naruto's heart.

* * *

Naruto spent the whole afternoon with Miaka getting the girl the necessary supplies for the journey. The first top was some nice clothes for the girl and basic necessities. He also bought some books on general education since he wanted to get the girl started on reading and writing since he found out that the girl didn't attend any classes in the local schools nor did her parents teach her anything.

The shopkeepers were quite shocked to see the infamous 'Demon Girl' of the local cemetery but they didn't voice it out since the glare Naruto leveled at them ensured that they kept their mouth shut. The spiritual pressure he let out also helped to keep their unwanted opinions to themselves.

It was an hour before dinner when the two shamans retreated to the Birds of Paradise for a well-deserved rest. Naruto raised an eyebrow when he saw Jiraiya nursing a cup of tea in the lounge, his face a mask of seriousness that didn't belong to the happy-go-lucky sage.

"Good afternoon, godfather. How did your talk with Tsunade go?" asked Naruto as he took a seat in front of the Toad Sage with Miaka immediately taking a comfortable perch on his lap which earned a questioning look from the man. "Oh, this is Miaka. She is like me." he said as a way to explain things without giving out any information since there were civilians around.

"I…see." said Jiraiya as he studied the happy girl on his godson's lap. "Is this the girl reputed to reside in the cemetery?"

Naruto looked at his godfather in surprise.

"Why yes, she is. How did you know?" he asked in curiosity making Jiraiya shrug.

"I am a spymaster, gaki. There are a few things hidden from me in the Elemental Nations. I knew you would pick up on the rumors being circulated by the merchants around and I know that it is within your field of expertise to sense such things so I kept my mouth shut."

Naruto nodded. It shouldn't have surprised him if his godfather picked up on such rumors. Jiraiya was reputed to have the best spy network in the Elemental Nations thanks to his cunning and access to the toads.

"Well, the problem is solved now. Miaka here will accompany me for the rest of the journey while I teach her the basic techniques to get her powers under control." Naruto said with a shrug while eyeing Miaka who was playing with a silver bracelet on her wrist, her medium to call on Tama.

Naruto couldn't help but be amazed and proud of the girl. In just one hour, Miaka learned the spell to house Tama inside the silver bracelet he procured in Fire Country. It wasn't a good medium but it would do for now until he could get back to Konoha where his supplies were. She would be teaching her how to control her Furyoku levels and the technique to oversoul Tama just in case the demon guardian was needed. Considering that they were traveling and the bounty on his head, it was a good idea for the girl to have the means to bring out her GS just in case.

"How about the demon that is associated with her?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

"I took care of it. Her guardian spirit is now housed inside the bracelet. She was a quick study, able to grasp the basic technique to place her…friend inside the accessory. I'll teach her to control her powers tomorrow so she can bring it out just in case." Naruto told his godfather who nodded in agreement. "So, when is Tsunade coming?"

"Not sure. I offered it to her so it's her decision." Jiraiya said with a sigh.

Naruto nodded before nudging at Miaka to stand up and did so before standing up himself.

"I'm going up to my room so Miaka can freshen up and rest." Naruto told the Toad Sage. "I will come down in an hour for dinner. Please tell Kakashi and Team 9 about it, we can eat together while waiting for Tsunade. Are we going to stay here until she makes up her mind?"

"Might as well. The Sandaime did order me to bring her back so we'll see."

Naruto nodded before leaving the depressed man alone to his thoughts.

* * *

Naruto was currently writing on a blank scroll, penning a training regimen for Miaka, when he heard a knock. He looked up from his task to realize that someone was knocking on his door. He frowned before pulling out a leaf and made a shikigami and had it answer.

Tsunade took a deep breath before knocking on the door in front of her. She arrived at the hotel last night and found Jiraiya at the lounge. She decided to take the man's offer to have the shaman summon the spirit of Dan and Nawaki so she could find closure. Jiraiya directed her to the shaman's room but opted to bow out of the experience since he wanted Tsunade to have a private time with her departed loved ones. This shocked Tsunade since he knew Jiraiya to be a nosy pervert and giving her privacy was practically one thing he would never do. This made Tsunade revise her thinking of the Toad Sage.

She was about to knock again when the door opened to reveal a floating…leaf thing. It was an odd thing. It had a transparent face, hands and legs, a leaf surrounded by an energy construct of sorts that she found familiar but couldn't identity. She was shocked at seeing Naruto's shikigami but was more shocked when he saw the two people inside the room.

On the coffee table was a young boy wearing a light blue formal kimono. The man wasn't wearing a hitai-ate so he wasn't a shinobi but the essence of power coming off the boy was astounding. The girl, and what she was doing, was a different matter entirely.

The black haired girl wearing a kimono similar to the boy though in pink was currently giggling as dozens of those things that opened the door for her flew around, playing a complicated game of poke and dodge.

"Senju Tsunade, I presume?" the boy spoke as he placed the brush aside and rolled up the scroll he was writing on. He tucked the scroll into his sleeve before standing up.

"Yes." Tsunade answered curtly. "You're Uzumaki Naruto, I take it?"

"I was Uzumaki Naruto but I changed my name to Asakura Naruto when I awakened as a shaman." Naruto answered with a smile before waving a hand over to a giggling Miaka. "I hope you don't mind if I don't stop my student from her practice. She needs this to control her growing powers."

"What are they?" Tsunade asked Naruto as she studied the floating…things flying around the girl.

"Those are called shikigamis. Miaka is using the leaves as medium and injects nature spirits into them to do her bidding. Playful little buggers and a great training exercise for new shamans to control their powers." Naruto said with some amusement. "So, Tsunade-san, I guess you're here because you accepted Jiraiya's offer?"

"I am. I know this is too good to be true but I'm willing to give it a shot." said Tsunade before cracking her knuckles as a cold look appeared in her eyes. "But if the old toad is pulling my leg, then I'll do more than punt him to Suna for this stunt."

"I assure you, Tsunade-san, Jiraiya is not lying to you." Naruto assured the woman as he took out Dan and Nawaki's tablets. "I take it that you are familiar with your lover and brother's chakra signature?"

Tsunade nodded as her eyes were glued to the tablets the boy was holding. She extended her senses and was shocked when she felt faint traces of Dan and Nawaki's chakra signature on them.

"H-How?" she stuttered out as her eyes took on a hopeful look.

"Easy, both the living and the dead share the same signature though the latter is more muted but it's still there. " Naruto answered as he made the two items float in front of him. "I am going to inject some of my powers into the two spirits to give them corporeal form. I will inject enough to give them 24 hours of temporary life. Nothing more and nothing less since I don't want to break the rules of the afterlife by letting them live longer."

"You mean you can bring people back from the dead?" asked Tsunade in shock. She was a medic-nin and such a technique was a medic's dream come true.

"I can but I won't. There are rules, Tsunade-san, and I have no intentions of breaking them unless it's an emergency and I'm not telling you what the rule is since you're not a shaman." said Naruto in seriousness before addressing Miaka. "You can stop with the exercise for now, Miaka-chan, and wait for me downstairs."

"Hai, Naruto-nii-san." Miaka quipped before closing her eyes, her cute nose scrunched up in concentration. The shikigamis stopped in mid air before the spiritual shell surrounding them disappeared causing the leaves to fall on the bed. She opened her eyes and smiled before picking up the leaves and putting them inside her kimono. She jumped off the bed and gave Naruto a brief kiss on the cheek before sprinting out of the room at top speed.

"Miaka is quite happy today." Naruto said in amusement before turning towards Tsunade. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Naruto raised his hand, his palms behind the floating tablets as he channeled his Furyoku. This technique was used once by Hao to give his friend, Matamune, a corporeal form and Naruto was going to repeat the feat to give Dan and Nawaki a visible and solid body for a limited period of time.

"_**Chou Senji Ryakketsu: Soul Injection."**_

Ever so slowly, the forms of Dan and Nawaki manifested in front of a shocked Tsunade before they completely solidified when Naruto's technique completed its task. The two looked at Tsunade with happiness while the Legendary Medic was leaking tears from her eyes as her mouth opened.

"Dan…Nawaki…" she breathed out before jumping at the two and hugging the life out of them.

Naruto smiled at the scene before making his way to the door to give the three their privacy but not before leaving a parting statement.

"Tsunade-san, please don't hurt them in any way with your strength. They might be alive but their body is sustained by my energy. Your punch would practically destroy their forms if you get ahead of yourself." said Naruto with a chuckle leaving a blushing Tsunade, a chuckling Dan, and a laughing Nawaki behind.

* * *

**End of chapter 10**

**Please leave a comment or a review. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Here you go, another chapter of Shaman of Konoha. Again, I apologize for the delay since I'm in the middle of a large project that needs my attention. I only have bits and pieces of free time to devote to my stories and my mind is too focused on my work to concentrate on my stories but I get by. I have to re-read the story just to get the creative juices flowing. **

**Anyway, I hope to get another chapter done this week and hopefully get to work on my other stories since they seriously need to be updated. **

**Enough of my rants. Enjoy the chapter. **

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Naruto's Test**

A fourteen year old Naruto smiled as his eyes lingered on the large wooden gate of Konoha. His return was way overdue; he was supposed to arrive six months ago at the end of his 'vacation'. His delay to return was due to the three children behind him, deciding to expose them to the wilds while he trained their shamanic abilities to grant them a bit of control over their Furyoku before moving on to the next state of their lessons.

Naruto took his eyes off the gate, turning to his right to see a nine-year old Miaka scribbling something on a piece of paper, the tip of her tongue comically sticking out of the side of her mouth while sitting on the back of a very annoyed five-foot tall Kurama who Naruto brought out of the seal to enjoy some time out of his dreary cage. Behind her was a sleeping seven year old boy with reddish brown hair, enjoying the warmth of Kurama's fur as they traveled.

This was the second child Naruto picked up with the potential to become a shaman. Naruto met Kirito in one of the trading settlements in Demon Country when he visited the dreary continent. The boy was an orphan, kicked out of the orphanage because he was labeled as 'crazy' since the boy would babble to his 'imaginary' friend.

Of course, Naruto immediately saw the spirit of a black wolf flanking the boy as he babbled away much to the disgust of the residents who viewed him as an idiot.

Considering the boy was an orphan, Naruto immediately adopted the boy and the leader of the settlement happily consented to his request. It took a while to explain to the boy about his abilities but Kirito believed him when he brought out Kurama and SoF while Miaka brought out Tama.

It turned out that the wolf was Kirito's GS. The spirit attached itself to the boy after sensing the latent shamanic abilities in his body.

Naruto left Demon Country with another student added to family. Of course, Naruto immediately treated Kirito as one since Miaka declared that the boy was her long lost brother before she was tackled by a happy Kirito.

The last person in the group was the same age as Naruto, a dark haired teen wearing a dark gray battle kimono tied to the waist by a black obi sash and an ornate katana tucked under it by his right hip. Instead of boots or sandals, he was wearing the traditional straw sandals commonly worn by traveling samurais outside Iron Country.

Masahiro was the great grandson of the famed Samurai General, Mifune. The reason why he was now part of the group was due to Mifune's request for Naruto to train the boy in the ways of the shaman after displaying the ability to see dead people around him which manifested sometime around his ninth birthday.

Obviously, Naruto had no problems with that and was more than happy to have someone his age become a part of his family (a great sparring partner since Masahiro was a skilled swordsman so Naruto have plenty of practice with the staff-fighting style he invented). Yes, Masahiro was now a part of his family when the teen showed interest in becoming an Asakura. Mifune agreed with his great-grandson on the stipulation that he visits once a year during the old samurai's birthday.

With the condition agreed upon, Naruto left Iron Country with Masahiro in tow along with a sealed scroll for the Sandaime detailing an alliance with Iron Country as long as Masahiro chose to stay in Konoha.

"What do you think, Naruto-nii-san?" asked Miaka as she showed Naruto what she was working on.

Naruto frowned as he studied the complicated divination chart drawn by Miaka after teaching the girl the basics Shamanic Divination. It was crudely done but the girl had the formation memorized to his satisfaction. He promised the girl that he would help her make a divination board once they returned to Konoha.

"Very good, Miaka-chan. You need to practice your calligraphy since your drawing is a bit messy." Naruto praised the girl who pouted while bringing her arms across her chest.

"It's not my fault!" she protested. "Kurama keeps moving around."

"**I was walking, brat."** huffed Kurama as he used his tail to swat the girl softly on the head. **"You didn't have to draw while riding on my back. Besides, it's not my fault that you jumped on my back for a ride when I came out of Naruto's seal."**

Miaka didn't answer but slid down to Kurama's neck and grabbed the fox's ears none too gently causing the oversouled bijuu to growl in irritation.

"Alright, you two. We're already here so no fighting please." interrupted Naruto since he could already see a fight brewing between the two. He didn't want these two to argue since the last time they did ended in an impromptu wrestling match between Kurama and Tama which leveled a sizable chunk of the forest in Swamp Country. He definitely didn't want the two to have another just outside Konoha's gates.

"So this is Konoha." said Masahiro as he eyed the large gate before turning to a sleeping Kirito and poking him on the ribs. "Wake up, Kirito-kun."

It took a few more pokes before the boy groggily pushed himself upright, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the grit.

"Huh?" he said groggily as he looked around. He saw the large wooden gate causing his eyes to widen. "We're here!" he exclaimed in happiness, all trace of sleepiness gone.

"That's what I said." Masahiro sighed. He was the caretaker of the two outside classes. He looked at Naruto who was eyeing Kurama speculatively while ignoring the bickering fox and its female passenger. "Aren't you going to disperse Kurama back into the seal, Naruto-sama?" he pointed out. He knew what Kyuubi was to the citizens of Konoha. Despite the fact that Kurama didn't resemble the Kyuubi of legends thanks to Naruto's tweaking the oversoul, foxes were still despised by the villagers.

Naruto thought for a bit before answering.

"I don't think so, Masahiro-kun." said Naruto with a shake of his head. "Besides, Kurama in his current form doesn't resemble the Kyuubi that attacked Konoha fourteen years ago. Besides, I want the village to get used to the idea that I have a fox for a GS other than SoF."

"So does this mean that I can bring out Shin, Naruto-nii-san?" asked Kirito immediately after getting off Kurama's back.

"Of course but keep the size similar to Kurama if you please. We don't want to scare the villagers by letting giant animals into Konoha." Naruto said with a smirk before adding. "Even if it does look impressive."

"Sweet!" exclaimed Kirito as he pulled out a small knife, a memento from his deceased father before he was placed in the orphanage, and held it in front of him as a burst of Furyoku surrounded the boy. _**"Oversoul!"**_

Black energies appeared out of nowhere to coalesce around Kirito, totally engulfing him in a sphere of pure darkness before it shattered to reveal the boy on top of a large black wolf a few inches smaller than Kurama. The boy immediately scratched the OS on the ear causing the GS to growl in happiness. Despite being an ancient wolf spirit, Shin (as Kirito dubbed him) couldn't speak though it could mentally communicate with Kirito and no one else.

Naruto took his eyes away from Kirito and Shin before turning to Masahiro who studied the large animal.

"You know, Masahiro-kun, there were plenty of opportunities for you to have a GS but I don't know why you didn't accept one." Naruto told the teen who merely shook his head. The boy was a natural medium, making it easy for him to contract with spirits if he let them. However, the many animals and human souls who wanted to be his GS were turned down. It was funny at how the spirits tend to fawn at the teen but it became tiresome after the first dozen.

"I don't know how to explain it, Naruto-sama. I don't sense any attachments to those spirits and the idea of having one of them as my GS repulsed me for some reason." Masahiro admitted before turning to the gates of Konoha. "However, my gut is telling me that my GS is nearby, possibly in the forest where your home is located."

"It is your home as well, Masahiro-kun." Naruto corrected the teen who gave him a thankful smile. "I suggest that you follow your instincts since it is a must for us shamans. Besides, you need to find our GS soon since you won't be able to move on to the next step without a spirit bonded to you. Miaka-chan and Kirito-kun already have you beat in that regard."

"That may be so, Naruto-sama." Masahiro said with a sniff before a sly smirk appeared on his face. "Despite having oversouls of their own, they still can't defeat me even if they face me together."

Naruto chuckled when he saw the glare Kirito and Miaka leveled at the smug swordsman. He couldn't refute Masahiro's statement. Masahiro was quite talented with his sword considering who his teacher was, a prodigy in the sword arts. However, he became deadlier when he experimented with his newly discovered Furyoku and infused the spiritual energy onto his sword. He could do very destructive techniques that he dubbed _Omnyoudo Ryu_. Tama and Shin didn't stand a chance when faced with a calm Furyoku-wielding samurai disciple and it showed in their many shamanic spars during their travels.

"They're still kids, Masahiro-kun. They didn't have a samurai general teaching them powerful sword techniques." Naruto chided the teen who merely shrugged. "Alright everyone, look smart as we enter Konoha. I want you guys to show the villagers that you are my students." he barked to the group who suddenly had an aura of confidence around them.

Miaka nodded before jumping out of Kurama's back. She summoned Tama before the large Oh-Oni placed her on his shoulders and taking their place behind Naruto. Shin and Kirito took to his left while Masahiro summoned a dozen leaf shikigamis floating around him as he took Naruto's right. Kurama took the front to complete the diamond formation.

The party of four entered the Konoha, stopping by the wide-eyed Chuunin guards to report their entry before making their way to the Hokage's Tower at the center of the village. The group was met with wide-eyed stares from the civilians and shinobi as they stared at the impressive procession of shamans. However, some glares were sent to Kurama who had Naruto sitting on its back, ignoring them since there was nothing they could do about it.

* * *

"You're _very_ late, Naruto-kun." said the Sandaime as he leveled a reproachful look at a widely grinning Naruto. "I expected you here six months ago but all I got was a disgruntled Team 9 saying that you sent them home."

Naruto smirk upon remembering the faces of Team 9 and Kakashi when he ordered them to return to Konoha after picking up Masahiro in Iron Country. They put up quite a fuss at first but he told them that he would be training his new charges and he didn't want people outside the clan to participate even as watchers. It also helped that he threatened to sick Kurama at them if they didn't comply. They took off as if the hounds of Yami were after them.

"I have a legitimate reason for parting with them, jiji." Naruto told the Sandaime who sighed. "I'm sure Kakashi already told you what it is."

"Fine." The old man gave in as he eyed the trio behind Naruto. "I take it these are the new shamans you are training in Kakashi's report?"

"They are and quite a talented bunch too! This is Asakura Miaka who I picked up in Bird Country." Naruto introduced the cute nine-year old Sandaime who smiled at the girl before turning to the Asakura clan head with a curious frown.

"I got a report from my ANBU that she was riding on a large red…demon on the way here." He asked, not liking the absence of such a powerful figure from the introduction.

"Oh, that's Tama. He's my GS. He is too big for your tower so I sent him away for now, jiji." said Miaka, mimicking the address Naruto gave the Sandaime, earning a chuckle from the rest of the group.

"I see." Sarutobi nodded. "and the rest?"

"The youngest is Kirito and the wolf cub on his shoulder is his GS, Shin." said Naruto as he patted the boy's head. He gestured towards the katana-wielding teen. "This is Masahiro, Mifune-sama's great-grandson. His grandfather requested that I take him in as a disciple when we discovered that he was a shaman since he was nine."

"A pleasure to meet you, Hokage-sama." Masahiro greeted the Sandaime with a bow of respect. He straightened and pulled out a blue scroll from inside his kimono and placed it on the table. "This is a trade agreement from grandfather."

This surprised the Sandaime since Iron Country disregarded any forms of trade agreement from any shinobi village due to their neutrality. Sure, they traded goods via their merchants but nothing substantial to merit an economic alliance. It would seem that being Naruto's disciple has its perks that would benefit Konoha as a whole. He opened the scroll to read the content, his eyebrow rose when he read what the old samurai leader was offering.

"Let me get this straight. As long as you stay here in Konoha, Iron Country will open its door to an exclusive trade on your country's chakra metals. Is this right?" Sarutobi asked in disbelief while Masahiro nodded.

"Yes, Sandaime-sama. Sofu-sama also states that I can be a shinobi of the village as long as I am sufficiently trained in the shinobi arts." said the teen with an excited smile on his face. He wanted to learn the shinobi arts since he already learned how to use chakra thanks to his samurai training.

Sarutobi pondered the boy's request. He didn't mind enrolling Masahiro into the Academy since he could feel the boy's chakra flowing fluidly in his body. This meant that he was trained, and considering who his relation was, the teen was more than prepared to handle the stress of being a shinobi. He turned to Naruto who was looking out the window with a frown on his face.

"What do you think, Naruto-kun?" the Sandaime asked Naruto who was brought out of his thoughts upon hearing the question.

"I don't mind as long as he is trained properly in the shinobi arts." Naruto said with a shrug. He didn't really give it any thought since he was more focused on what he was getting from Sasuke. The moment Masahiro and the Sandaime started talking, he used his Reishi to reach out to the last Uchiha of Konoha. He inwardly winced at the negative emotions churning within his charge. It would seem that his year of absence made things worst since he wasn't there to keep an eye on things. He made a mental note to mention this to the Hokage later to subject Sasuke to a mind walk by a Yamanaka since such negativity would be disastrous if left unchecked.

That and the fact that he didn't want break his promise to Itachi. The man already has too much to worry about without adding his rampaging younger brother into the mix.

"If that is the case then I'll enroll him in this year's graduating class." said the Sandaime as he brought out the necessary forms to be filled out.

"Could you include the forms for adopting these three into the Asakura family, Hokage-jiji?" Naruto asked while the Hokage was rummaging around in his drawer.

"I have no problems with that." said the Sandaime as he handed the forms to Naruto who took it and leafed through the pages. He mentally winced since he would have to fill them all up tonight. "Please bring them back to me as soon as possible for processing. The graduating class will start in 2 weeks. Go to the Academy and look for Umino Iruka to get the curriculum so you can borrow the necessary books from the library for Masahiro to go through to catch up to his peers."

"Thanks, jiji." said Naruto with a smile. "I guess that's it for now. I need to show the kids the compound and a bit of an exercise along the way."

"Exercise?" asked Sarutobi in curiosity.

"Yes. They will have to find the Asakura compound in the Forest of Death using nothing but their shamanic training to aid them." Naruto said with a manic grin that scared Miaka, Kirito, and Masahiro shitless. "You can consider this an initiation test for any new shamans planning to join the family."

* * *

Naruto led the three to the outskirts of the Forest of Death. They were now standing in front of Gate 13, mandated by the Hokage for the use of Asakura Naruto and those he deemed part of his family. He already decided that newly trained shamans would have to get used to the forest if they wanted to live there. After all, they would be in charge of protecting the place if he wasn't around so might as well get used to the dangerous surrounding he considered their backyard.

Besides, it was a great initiation rite for new shamans. The dangers in the Forest of Death would be a great help in boosting their Furyoku levels and teaching them fighting skills along the way.

"Alright, gakis." said Naruto to the trio, eliciting a snort from Masahiro considering they were the same age. "Your task is to find the Asakura compound deep within this forest. I already told you before that the Forest of Death is home to oversized predators due to the abundant energy released by the chakra-charged trees so think of this as a survival training program geared towards shamans. Any questions?"

"Can we go all out, Naruto-nii-sama?" asked Kirito who eyed the forest hungrily. Having a wolf as a GS, some of its wild traits bled to the boy when they combined.

"Of course! You need everything in your arsenal to survive the forest so you definitely have to go all out. The place is considered a training ground by some of the elites in the village and the Chuunin Exams since it fits the survival part to a tee." Naruto answered the excited Kirito who was eyeing the forest as if it was his very own playground. He inwardly chuckled since the boy would be singing a different tune once he experienced the tender loving care the predators would subject him to._ "I don't need to tell them that I also placed a few of my shikigamis along the trail they need to pass in order to reach the compound. Ku ku ku."_ He cackled inwardly while keeping a straight face to avoid suspicions.

"How about food?" asked Miaka as she fingered the bracelet on her wrist, eager to call out Tama since the forest was giving her goosebumps.

"The place is filled with edible plants and animals as long as you're not picky. I already taught you three everything you need to know about living in the wilds so what you eat in there is up to you." Naruto said with a shrug as he called out SoF who materialized behind him and lifted its master off the ground. "There is no time limit. Start as you see fit." was all he said before he and SoF flew off to who knows where.

The three novice shamans watched their master fly away before looking at each other and sighing in unison.

"I guess we better get started." said Masahira as he used his thumb to flick his katana lose from it's sheathe. He could feel the strong presence of animals in the area and the task was going to take a lot out of them. He entered the large gate followed by Miaka and Kirito who already have their GS materialized. This was going to be a long test.

* * *

"_**Omnyoudo Ryu: Soul Decapitation."**_ Masahiro whispered while in a battoujutsu stance before disappearing and reappearing behind a pair of grotesque demons. He sheathed his katana with a flourish as the demons' form dematerialized to reveal two paper tags cut in half as it fell to the forest floor.

He turned around to see Miaka, her hands clasp together as if in prayer, chanting a sutra taught to her by Naruto as a means to ward off evil spirits and sustaining the barrier around the clearing that stopped most of the malicious spirits and live predators from ambushing them while the two took care of those that entered their makeshift campsite. Seeing that sole female in their group have everything well in hand, he turned to see Kirito calling out one of his techniques.

"_**Wolf Fangs!"**_ shouted Kirito as dozens of fang-like daggers flew out of his black and blue wolf-motif armor to pierce and shred three demons to reveal shredded and torn tags. The fangs swerved in the air to return to its master, easily fitting back into Kirito's outfit forming the shoulder guard of his armor OS. "That's the last of them." the boy said in relief before turning to Miaka. "We're done, Miaka-nee-san."

Miaka nodded before shifting her prayer to another spell Naruto taught her. Her monotone chant reached a crescendo as the near transparent barrier turned a malicious red before expanding, encompassing the attackers outside the protective dome, destroying spirits and knocking out the living. Done with her part, she released the spell before releasing a tried breath.

"I never want to do that again!" Miaka exclaimed tiredly. The protective-turned-offensive barrier was the spell Naruto taught her. She wasn't an offensive shaman, her strength were on amulet creation, divination, and protection. The barrier spell was unique since it could be modified to a minor version of an exorcism spell that can dispel shikigamis, ward off spirits, and electrocute the living. She already mastered the spell but she couldn't keep it up for long since it took a lot of Furyoku to sustain. "Kirito-kun, can you check if there are more attackers nearby?"

"Already done, nee-chan." Kirito quipped as he used his heightened senses to scout the area. Merging with Shin gave him the senses and instincts of a wolf, the same abilities were amplified when Shin was in armor mode or merged with his GS. "There's nothing around us right now." He noticed the twitching tigers and snakes just outside the clearing. "Well, nothing conscious anyway."

The trio has been in the forest for three days now and they were nowhere near the Asakura compound. Thanks to Miaka's divination technique, they found out that their house was a day's walk to the north. However, they didn't reach their intended destination because the path towards the Asakura compound was riddled with huge predators that wanted to make a meal out of them, malicious spirits bound to the place by Naruto as part of the compound's protection, and of course, shikigamis in various shapes or forms to hinder their journey. They knew that Naruto was a powerful shaman but to have multiple shikigamis active at the same time was something they couldn't comprehend.

Materializing a shikigami was no easy feat. It takes a lot of Furyoku to pull off and the focus needed was astronomical. To think that Naruto created and maintained them was shocking to say the least.

"What's the count?" asked Kirito as he dematerialized Shin back into spirit form to conserve Furyoku. Armor OS didn't require a lot of Furyoku to create but they needed all the help they could get since Naruto was ruthless in hindering them from reaching their destination.

"Twenty nine C-class shikigamis, fifteen tigers on steroids, and a lot of man-size snakes." Miaka answered with obvious sarcasm.

"We can do without the sarcasm, Miaka-chan." Masahiro chided the girl who pouted. "Considering who our master is; it is obvious that he is testing us and our abilities. I already expected this to happen when he ordered us to go all out."

"I know but this is so tiring. It's been three days! I haven't had a decent sleep! I stink and badly need a bath." Miaka all but whined. This was not the Forest of Death. No, in her mind, this was the Forest of HELL!

"Fine." Masahiro sighed before turning his face north. "How far away are we?"

Miaka huffed as she took out her makeshift divination board she carved out from a large wood the second day they entered the forest. It wasn't that complete but it was enough to divine the location to the Asakura compound. She chanted as she opened her mind's eye to the divination technique, her eyes taking a glazed look as if in a trance. It took her five minutes to find the answer. "The Asakura compound is three kilometers away due northeast."

Masahiro nodded as he extended his senses. He could feel a dozen or so shikigamis in front of them with a few more living signatures signifying the predators of the forest. He mulled the information before deciding on a plan to get them there as fast as possible.

"Alright, here is what we're going to do. We are almost there so we are going to plow our way through." He started, earning a startled look from Miaka and Kirito. "We can get there faster if we run but I can sense more ambush along the path. Instead of taking the slow-route, we are going to hit hard and fast. Miaka-chan, I want you to materialize Tama, he is going to be your and Kirito's ride. I want you to stay on his shoulder and try to use some spells to attack." He got a determined nod from Miaka before she materialized the 15-foot tall Tama in all his glory. He turned to Kirito. "Kirito-kun, I want you to ride on Tama's other shoulder in your Armor OS. I want you to snipe any enemies that comes within range using your Wolf Fangs."

"What are you going to do, Masahiro-nii-san?" asked Kirito as Shin in his armor form materialized on his body before being picked up by Tama and placed the boy on his shoulder opposite of Miaka who was already preparing her make-shift tags.

Masahiro smiled grimly as he pulled out his katana and materialized a dozen leaf shikigamis.

"I am going to destroy anything in our path." The grim smile transformed into a manic grin with Miaka and Kirito sporting the same. "Since Naruto-sama wants to test us then we are going to show him what we can do."

* * *

Naruto and Sandaime were currently relaxing in front of a large man-size orb that showed Miaka, Kirito, and Masahiro destroying anything in their path as they ran as fast as their legs could carry them towards the safety of the Asakura compound. The Sandaime couldn't help but approve of the power the three displayed and surviving the dangerous path from Gate 13 to the clearing where Naruto's home was located.

"You taught them well, Naruto-kun. It would seem that each of them have their specialties in the shamanic arts." noted Sarutobi as he thought of the various skills the trio pulled out of their metaphoric sleeves to survive the jungle.

Naruto nodded while sipping his tea.

"I don't like putting all their skills in one basket but it's best to have a specialization to start before learning other shamanic paths. Kirito-kun is an offensive type that specializes in oversoul techniques. He was able to master Armor OS in just one week with his GS and uses it like a pro. He also trained himself in tracking since Shin is a wolf spirit, giving him the instincts and senses of a wolf if they combine or when in armor mode." Naruto explained to the nodding Hokage.

"Miaka?" he asked the powerful shaman who smirked, pride shining in his eyes at the mention of the girl he considered a younger sister.

"Ah, she's a complicated one. She doesn't like to hurt people because of how the townsfolk in Bird Country treated her. She will do so if push comes to shove but her specialty lies in divination and defensive spells. The use of the Furyoku Barrier and turning it into an Exorcism Spell in a single move is a sign of her latent ability in that area." Naruto said with pride in his voice. "As you can see, she can divine with great accuracy despite the makeshift tools she created a day back. I will teach her to make the right tools and enchant them properly for more accurate divinations."

"Interesting." said the Sandaime as he watched the girl throw paper tags at various shikigamis that dispelled the spirit construct upon contact. "From what I can see, she is also talented in shamanic seal though I can say that they are more into the exorcism variety."

Naruto smiled at his surrogate grandfather. Despite having no shamanic abilities, the aged leader took the time to study all the books he transcribed from his knowledge from the collective minds he inherited from the Asakura Family. His alias "The Professor" was aptly given.

"That's more of a hobby than a specialization." said Naruto. "She only brings out the tags under desperation. However, I am sure she will be delving into the art since she is finding it useful under duress."

"That's an accurate assumption. How about Masahiro-kun? I noticed that he didn't materialized his GS?" said Sarutobi as he curiously watched the great-grandson of Mifune release an arc of energy as he swung his katana that bisected the two demons in front of him while flinging leaf shikigamis everywhere to take care of the animals that came too close to the fleeing group.

"He doesn't have a GS yet." Naruto said with a chuckle. "He is a natural medium so he attracts spirits like bees to honey. However, he didn't pick a GS since they didn't feel natural to him. He said that his spirit is somewhere in the forest so I expect he will be looking for it or them in between his studies and training."

"Training?"

"Did you see the attack he just used?" asked Naruto who got a nod from the aged leader. "With the lack of a GS to perform more powerful attack, he is using his Furyoku with his sword techniques to create a new style. He called it Onmyoudo Ryu if I'm not mistaken, a merging of Mifune's style and his spirit energy. Quite talented swordsman the boy is and a prodigy in the offensive use of spiritual energy. Obviously, he is an offensive type. His samurai training definitely saw to that."

"I noticed." said the Sandaime in amusement. "Since Masahiro shows interest in the shinobi arts, will the other two join him in learning about chakra?"

"That's their prerogative." said Naruto with a shrug. "My concern is to teach them the abilities that come with their shamanic heritage. If they chose to become a shinobi, a full-time shaman, or a hybrid of both, that is their decision, not mine."

"Aren't you a bit laid back on your decisions with them?" the Sandaime pointed out. "You are their master after all."

"I know but I believe in free will and making one's own decision to pave the way to the future. I will teach them what they want in the shamanic arts but what they want to do with their life is their choice." Naruto said with a smirk. "However, a part of their income will go to the Asakura vault. Since they are now part of the family, it is only right that they contribute to its upkeep."

"You're already rich, Naruto-kun." the Sandaime deadpanned, knowing how much the Asakura fortune has grown thanks to his many 'missions' in and out of the village. Last time he checked, the balance rivaled the Nara Clan already. The Fire Daimyo was very generous in paying for Naruto's services and offered a monthly stipend as long as the protection around the Fire Daimyo's palace is maintained.

"That I am but this will teach them responsibility." Naruto retorted. "Since they expressed concerns in being part of the Asakura Family then they will have to play a part in its success."

"I guess I can understand that." said the Sandaime before taking a bite of his Onigiri, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Since we are in that topic, I will post a mission request in a few weeks, jiji." Naruto said after a few minutes of silence and watching the trio's plight as they neared the boundary of the Asakura property.

"Why?"

"Well, if they want to learn to become shinobi then I need a trainer for them. I think an A-rank long-term mission should be enough."

"I would think of it along the line of a B-rank, Naruto-kun."

"True but considering wherethey will be trained, an A-rank is advisable." Naruto said with a smirk causing the Sandaime to shudder.

"I'll…come up with a list of shinobi for that mission to be approved later." said the aged leader with a bit of hesitation, his mind already coming up with a list on who was unfortunate enough to teach the new shamans of Konoha. Ebisu, Konohamaru's tutor, was on top of that list since the man needs a few scares to bring him back to reality. He inwardly scoffed. _"Shortcut to Hokage indeed. If that was the case then anyone can become a Kage. Stupid tutor."_

"I'll leave that in your expert hands, Hokage-sama." Naruto said with a mock-bow to the Hokage finally sighed in exasperation.

"Please try to make sure that they're protected, Naruto-kun." The aged leader pleaded though there was a bit of a whine to his voice that made Naruto chuckle in amusement.

"I promise, old man." Naruto assured his surrogate grandfather who gave him a doubtful look. He saw the kids already past the boundary and saw who was waiting for them. He grinned. "You might want to watch the next part, old man."

"Huh?" Sarutobi exclaimed dumbly before looking at the viewing orb. What he saw scared him. "Are you crazy?" he all but screamed to the laughing Naruto.

* * *

"Finally!" shouted Miaka as she slumped down on the ground, dispersing Tama back to spirit form and into her bracelet to rest. All three of them were already within the safety of the barrier Naruto erected around the compound. The calming presence and the sense of safety surrounding them was a testament to that.

"I don't want to go through that again." Kirito panted as he tried to fill his lungs with as much oxygen as he could. He noticed the silence from the eldest of their ragtag party. He looked up to see Masahiro staring disbelievingly in front of him. He followed the teen's line of sight and cursed when he saw who was waiting for them in front of the large gate that marked the entrance to their new home. "Shit!"

"_**Hello, brats."**_ said a twenty-foot tall Kurama, his tails waving excitedly behind him as he looked down at the three fatigued shaman neophytes. _**"I'm the last hurdle you have to face. Ku ku ku."**_

The curses the trio let out would have made Ibiki and Anko proud if they heard it.

* * *

**End of Chapter 11. **

**Please leave a comment or a review. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hiyah! Sorry took long to put this chapter up. I took a short leave to relax and finally got down to finish some of the unfinished plots for this chapter. Anyway, don't expect speedy updated even when I am 'partially' back in the writing gig since my work project is still taking up most of my time. **

**Now that's out of the way, here's chapter 12!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Shaman King.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Settling Down**

Masahiro grunted as he dodged one of the fox bijuu's tails and watched the ground cave under the power of its attack. He and his fellow shaman disciples were already at this for almost an hour now and they were already on their last leg. The trio knew that they couldn't hope to defeat Kurama in their best, and considering that they expended a majority of their energy getting past the predators and shikigamis on their way to the Asakura compound in the Forest of Death, there was no way they could put up so much as challenge to the most powerful tailed beast in the Elemental Nations despite being limited.

"Nii-san! To your left!" warned Kirito when he saw one of Kurama's tails lash out to hit his surrogate brother on the left flank while concentrating on his 'fangs' as he tried to divert the tail's trajectory.

Masahiro turned to his left to see the incoming attack. He gathered a bit of what was left of his Furyoku to charge his katana before whipping it out of its sheath in such speed that it came out a blur. An arc of bluish white energy intercepted the incoming tail, hoping to stop or slow it down, but it would seem that Kurama added a bit of juice to his attacking appendage that the energy attack was brutally dispersed without even slowing down. The great grandson of Mifune braced himself for impact but it wasn't necessary when a glowing ofuda appeared in front of him followed by a shout.

"_**Ofuda: Barrier!"**_Miaka all but screamed as a hexagonal barrier of pure solidified Furyoku burst forth from the floating tag that stopped the attack. However, the barrier was starting to crack from the onslaught and the young samurai knew that it wouldn't hold out any longer. Without prompt, Masahiro blurred out of sight just as the barrier broke and struck the area where he stood, causing a small explosion, a testament to the powerful force behind the attack. Masahiro appeared behind Miaka and Kirito before targeting Kurama with his observant gaze, frowning when he noticed something.

The oversouled bijuu wasn't moving from his spot in front of the clan house. In fact, from the looks of things, he was guarding the entrance as if stopping them from entering. He smirked when he realized what the bijuu was doing.

The overgrown plush toy's aim was to hinder them from completing the test and that was to enter the safety of the house, the metaphorical finish line to this ridiculous race.

Kurama was having a blast. He was enjoying the fight despite being only limited to two tails of chakra. Sure, two tails for him was enough to trounce a dozen Kages in their prime but the three shaman disciples were putting a good fight, desperation and determination empowering them despite being on their last leg. His container explained to him that life-and-death situations tend to boost a shaman's Furyoku levels and he wanted the disciples to have a major boost from this simple 'test'. He grunted when the large muscled form of Tama shoved him away with so much force that it threw him back a couple of meters, a testament to its strength. However, he was puzzled when he saw the large Oh-Oni returned to his summoner's side but he discovered the reason when he heard the wolf shaman's shout.

"_**Wolf Fangs!" **_shouted Kirito as a dozen sharp projectile flew out of his armor to attack Kurama in earnest. The oversouled fox batted a few away with his tails while using his chakra along with a powerful roar to deflect the rest.

"**Is that all you got, gaki?"** Kurama taunted with a grin before slamming his paw on the ground in front of him before a claw of red chakra erupted from the ground and charging its way towards a tired Kirito who expended a lot of energy from his attack and couldn't muster enough to dodge the incoming danger.

Thankfully, Masahiro already saw the attack coming since it was one of the few techniques the fox used in one of their many spars out in the wilderness. He stepped forward in a determined gait, putting Kirito and Miaka behind him and slashed at the chakra appendage, cutting it in two before it dispersed into globules of red energy floating in mid air. He turned and grabbed two before jumping out of the way as Kurama's chakra combined again to form the severed paw and smashed the ground the trio stood.

When they were at a safe distance from the grinning bijuu, Masahiro decided to clue his fellow disciples on his discovery.

"Listen. I know the purpose of this test." said Masahiro as he eyed Kurama who wasn't moving from his spot to attack them. It was quite obvious that the bijuu was waiting for them to make a move before countering.

"What do you mean, nii-san?" asked Kirito as he sent a mental command to his fangs to return to his armor. He was running out of Furyoku and he knew that he only has enough for one more attack if this continues.

"The goal is not to defeat Kurama. It would seem that Naruto-sama is using him as a test." Masahiro told them as a plan clicked into place in his mind. "The goal of this test is to get past Kurama and enter the house. I have a good feeling that the test will end when we're inside the building."

"Why do you say that?" asked Miaka. She was already standing up though she was being supported by Tama. She was weakened from using the ofudas to erect barriers to protect the two attackers. She only has five defensive ofudas left and barely enough Furyoku to activate them.

"Look at Kurama." the katana-wielding teen prompted causing the two kids to look at the bijuu. "He is not attacking and always on the defensive. If he wanted, he could bring us all down without effort considering that we are almost out of energy. He is just standing there and countering our efforts."

"Now that you mentioned it, he is only countering our moves and nothing else." Kirito mused. "So all we need to do is get past Kurama and enter the house to finish the test?"

"Yes." Masahiro nodded.

"Do you have a plan?" asked Miaka, hearing the reason for the test filled her with determination to finish it. "I don't think Kurama is kind enough to let us pass even if we ask him nicely." she added dryly.

"I do. How many of those ofudas do you have left, Miaka-chan?"

"Five." she answered, showing them the defensive tags.

"Can you modify them to create a trap barrier?" he inquired with Miaka nodding.

"That's easy but why?" she asked with some confusion. "Even with the trap barrier, I doubt it would last more than five seconds with Kurama."

"Five seconds is enough for my plan to work. I want you to modify the ofudas to produce a barrier that will trap Kurama in place." He instructed causing Miaka to nod before pulling out her calligraphy set and got to work. He turned to Kirito. "Do you have enough for one last barrage?"

"Enough for one attack, nii-san." Kirito replied.

"Good. When I give the signal, I want you to unleash all of your fangs and keep Kurama occupied. With him distracted, I want Miaka to trap him inside the barrier allowing us to escape to the house and finish the test."

"What will you be doing?" Miaka asked curiously though her eyes didn't leave the ofuda she was modifying.

"I have a speed technique that will get us past Kurama but with the amount of Furyoku I have, I only have enough for one activation." answered Masahiro, hoping upon hope that his experimental speed technique would generate enough acceleration to get them to the house and safety.

"Speed technique?" asked Kirito in confusion. "I didn't know you have one?"

"I only used it twice and it is not battle ready yet since it takes a lot of Furyoku to pull off and I can only go in a straight line. However, this will be enough to get past Kurama."

"I'm done, nii-san!" shouted Miaka with a grin, holding up five modified barrier tags. It was sloppily done but it would do for now.

"Good, on my mark, we will initiate the plan and hopefully end this idiocy of a test." said Masahiro as he planted himself in between Miaka and Kirito, a hand on their shoulder as he gathered the last of his Furyoku for his speed technique. "Ready?"

He got a nod from the two, their eyes showing unyielding determination.

"Go!"

* * *

Kurama wasn't prepared when two dozen projectiles suddenly attacked. He used his tails and paws to swat them away from him but they were faster and more powerful, meaning, Kirito overcharged them with his energy for one last attack. He didn't notice the five ofudas fly out of Miaka's outstretched hands thanks to charging them with the last of her Furyoku. They flew with expert precision as they halted around Kurama in a formation.

"_**Five Point Heavenly Barrier!"**_ Miaka shouted as she channeled the last of her Furyoku to the technique. The floating ofudas started glowing before a beam of pure spirit energy flew out of them to connect with the other talismans, forming a pentagon wall with him inside it. The gaps were closed by a bright blue barrier that halted the confused bijuu in its tracks.

Masahiro saw the completion of the barrier and channeled all of his Furyoku to his legs. He grasped Miaka and Mashiro on the shoulder before whispering the activation of his speed technique.

"_**Shunpo."**_ He murmured as he and his passengers disappeared while creating a sonic boom as they sped to the house at top speed.

Kurama was confused when he heard the powerful boom of the sound barrier breaking from the speed of Masahiro's mad dash. However, the boom was punctuated by a loud crash and groaning when he turned his head and peered through the hazy barrier to see Masahiro, Kirito, and Miaka inside the house groaning on the floor, leaving three man-shape holes on the walls, a testament that despite having a powerful speed technique, controlling the direction was not part of the package.

"**Well, they passed the test but did it in an amusing way**." said Kurama in amusement as he flicked one of his tails towards the barrier, shattering it with ease. He could have destroyed the barrier the moment it activated but he wanted to see what the brats were planning to pass the test.

They didn't disappoint.

* * *

Naruto watched the moaning trio in amusement. They were currently in a large room reserved as a medical bay in one of the back rooms in the Asakura compound. A medic-nin was called in by the Hokage and led through the path in the Forest of Death by Inu to treat the three shaman disciples.

"I understand that you came up with a speed technique, Masahiro, but don't you think it would be a good idea to first master it first before using it in a life-and-death situation?" Naruto asked with some amusement as he watched the twitching teen being bandaged by the medic. The three suffered physical exhaustion on top of a few bruises and light wounds. Oh yes, the trio also suffered a cracked skull when they inadvertently rammed through the wall courtesy of Masahiro's untested technique.

Despite his amused reaction, Naruto was quite proud of his disciples. They were able to survive a challenge that would make an A-rank Jounin piss their pants in fear. Also, facing the Kyuubi in a no-holds-barred fight, despite being on the defensive, was a feat unto itself. His prediction of Masahiro discovering the reason of the final test was also a cause of pride as well since the teen was working his way to become a capable shaman, and possibly a shinobi, in the future.

In truth, the test with Kyuubi was a spur-of-the-moment decision and he was laughing his head off upon seeing the trio smash through a wall just to get to the finish line.

"We have no choice, Naruto-sama." said Masahiro before wincing when the medic placed the bandage around his bruised chest. He cracked a rib or two when he encountered one of Kurama's tails. "It was the only way to bypass…uh….your oversoul." He decided against using Kurama's name or any reference to the fox to avoid scaring the medic-nin.

"Hm, too true." Naruto conceded before chuckling in amusement. "But, keep in mind, Masahiro, that there are always multiple solutions to every problem. The challenge there is to come up with one without smashing through a wall and giving yourselves cracked skulls."

"I'll keep that in mind." Masahiro said dryly before breathing out a sigh of relief when the medic finished putting on the bandages.

"Did we pass the test?" Miaka asked tiredly though she was already on the verge of sleep. Kirito was already snoring after exhausting all his Furyoku on his last attack. Shin was also tuckered out, sleeping underneath the boy's bed.

"Passed with flying colors, Miaka-chan." Naruto answered proudly while softly ruffling the girl's hair. "Now, all three of you should rest. Take a week off. We will discuss your training afterwards, understood?"

He got two affirmative grunts and a loud snore in reply.

* * *

Naruto hummed as he finished the last of his notes on combining Kurama's chakra and Furyoku. In truth, he wasn't making a lot of progress in that aspect of his research since bijuu chakra was exponentially more powerful and potent than human energy.

His experiment involving the two opposite energies was a big failure. He tried to inject small amounts of Kurama's chakra into his shikigamis but the bijuu's energy destroyed the construct before they could even form. No matter how much he tried, infusing a bijuu's chakra into shikigamis simply overloads the construct, destroying them in the process.

However, some shamanic techniques work well with Kurama's chakra. For example, incorporating it into his Furyoku Shield makes it more durable and allows him to freely manipulate the construct that he could even attack if he so wills it. He had fun creating spectral arms from his shield and playing tag with Kirito and Shin with it.

Other than that, he couldn't come up with anything to use Kurama's chakra unless he wanted to delve into the shinobi arts. He wasn't that interested but it could be useful just in case his shamanic abilities failed him, which he doubted. In fact, he was already thinking about joining the trio's shinobi training since he needed to know the basic use of chakra in order to properly utilize Kurama's.

He closed the scroll and placed it inside his drawer before leaning back on his high-back chair. It's been two months since he returned from his journey and the Asakura compound was bustling with activity.

Miaka, Kirito, and Masahiro greedily studied the shamanic arts thanks to the library Naruto himself penned from his collective knowledge of the Asakura Family. They devoured scrolls after scrolls of shamanic knowledge though they were insightful enough to start with the basics before moving on to their respective specialties.

Speaking of which, the trio finally chose a path they wished to follow.

Miaka, with her inherent talent in barriers and exorcisms, decided to concentrate on Shamanic Seals and Incantations. Thanks to the library, she now had tons of spells at her disposal and quite a lot of ofudas ranging from exorcisms tags to powerful barrier seals. She also crafted her own tools for scrying and divination; and was being guided and molded into the art by Naruto through the various jobs he was assigned to around the village.

She wasn't an expert but she was getting there if she keeps up with her current level of determination.

Kirito focused on improving his abilities as a Battle Shaman, practicing and training with Shin almost every day on top of his lessons with Naruto to perfect his abilities and coming up with new ones. He took to exposing himself in various danger areas in the Forest of Death to increase his Furyoku levels and battle experience thanks to the rabid animals in the area.

Masahiro was similar to Kirito but he was focused more into refining his Omnyodou Ryu while coming up with different techniques incorporating his katana and Furyoku. He also found his Guardian Spirit during his many training sessions in the Forest of Death. His GS was a 10-foot tall white tiger spirit that he named Byakko. He didn't work on his oversoul yet but he already mastered combining with Byakko using Hyoi Gattai and their teamwork was flawless to say the least.

Naruto was brought out of his musings when someone entered his study.

"What can I do for you, Kenjiro?" Naruto asked his butler. Kenjiro was an old man that lived in the Red Light district, in one of the seedier corners of Konoha. It was luck that he stumbled onto the man who was surviving on begging for his meals. He sensed a bit of Furyoku in the man and further interview (over ramen at Ichirakus) to discover that he could see spirits but totally ignored them, keeping the ability to himself.

Without any hesitation, Naruto immediately took in the man and assigned him as his personal butler and caretaker of the Asakura Estate since he was too old to be trained as a disciple. After little training on his job and some shamanic knowledge crammed into his head by an ecstatic Naruto, he was the perfect butler.

"Asakura-sama, your guests have arrived." Kenjiro announced after a bow of greeting.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you can call me Naruto." Naruto said in irritation. He really didn't like the man treating him like royalty despite being a Clan Head. Kenjiro treated him like a king as thanks for elevating him from being a beggar on his last leg.

"I lost count after a thousand, Asakura-sama." Kenjiro said, the side of his lips twitching in amusement.

"I give up!" Naruto said in exasperation before standing up and walked around his desk. "Guests? I was expecting Hokage-jiji. Who else is there?" asked Naruto as he exited his study followed by Kenjiro.

"Your other guest is Ebisu and Hokage-sama brought him for the tutor position."

"Hm, never heard of him." Naruto admitted. "What do you think of him, Kenjiro?"

Another reason why Naruto took in Kenjiro as his butler and steward was because of the man's ability to read a person like an open book. He wasn't a Reishi user nor was he a telepath but he has this ability to see the person's soul, a powerful ability that would make any Kage green with envy.

"Dependable but with an ego." Kenjiro admitted that made Naruto pause for a bit before continuing his stride.

"Do explain."

"He has a kind soul, well, kind for a shinobi anyway. He is loyal to the Hokage and respects your position in the village. However, he is quite taken with his rank as an Elite Tutor. From what I could tell, he is currently tutoring the Hokage's Grandson and imposing on the boy his belief that his teachings are a shortcut to becoming Hokage." Kenjiro said with some mild amusement laced in his voice.

"Ah. One of those then." Naruto nodded. "You think he is capable of teaching my disciples?"

"He is capable. After all, he isn't an Elite Jounin for nothing. However, I advise that you tell him in advance not to shower the kids with his inane beliefs." Kenjiro said with a sniff causing Naruto to chuckle. It was quite obvious that Kenjiro was a bit protective over the younglings, treating them like his own grandkids.

"I'll keep that in mind." said Naruto as he entered the foyer to see the Hokage calmly sipping his tea while another person wearing a standard Jounin outfit and a pair of dark sunglasses standing beside him in attention. "Welcome, Hokage-jiji. I hope I didn't make you wait for long." Naruto greeted his leader and surrogate grandfather while idly noting the stiffening of the 'tutor' to how he addressed the man.

"Oh no, Naruto-kun. Kenjiro was kind enough to supply me with refreshments before he went to look for you." Hiruzen said with a smile. "I have the tutor you requested and I am confident that he can teach the trio well. Where are they anyway?" he added when he noted the lack of activity in the house. The trip, if nothing else, were quite rowdy especially when they were into one of their daily spars.

"They are currently practicing their combat skills in the forest. They should be back in an hour or so for dinner." Naruto answered casually as he took a seat in front of the Hokage with Kenjiro automatically pouring him a cup of tea. He thanked his butler and took a sip before addressing Ebisu. "So, you're the tutor for my disciples. Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?"

The tutor nodded before speaking.

"My name is Ebisu. Elite Jounin of Konoha. I am a well-known tutor in the shinobi ranks and I am confident that I can teach your…disciples everything they need to know to become powerful shinobi in the future."

"Direct to the point. I like that." Naruto said with a smile making the Elite Jounin puff out his chest in pride. "However, let me correct you. My disciples are, first and foremost, shamans. If they chose to become a part of the village's military then they will still be addressed as shamans. I hope that is clear."

Ebisu stiffened at the slight rebuke. Despite being uneducated in the shamanic arts, he could feel the power rolling off the Asakura clan head as if it was water. He was currently using every bit of his willpower to stop himself from shuddering. He stiffly nodded.

"Good. I might not know about your…capabilities as a tutor but if Hokage-jiji recommended you then I will trust his judgment." said Naruto before his eyes took an unholy glint. "However, I don't want you sprouting nonsense in front of my disciples about your so-called 'shortcuts'. For in this family, power stems from hard work and determination. There is no shortcut. Are we clear, Ebisu-san?"

Hearing the hidden warning and threat in the Clan Head's tone, he nodded in fear.

"Clear."

"Then we will get along just fine." Naruto smiled. "So what are you planning to teach my disciples?"

"I plan to teach them history before moving on to the shinobi arts." Ebisu started that made Naruto frown.

"Scrap that plan. History can be easily learned through books in the library. I can easily procure information through Hokage-jiji so I suggest that you proceed in teaching them the shinobi arts. Now, what is your curriculum for that?"

"I'm sorry to disagree with you, Asakura-sama, but history is important to every shinobi."

"True. History is important but it can be learned through reading in their spare time. You can quiz them if you wish but that is the extent of your dabbling in the subject." Naruto said sternly much to the amusement of the silent Hokage. "The curriculum?"

Ebiuse sighed and gave in.

"Fine. If you want me to proceed directly to the shinobi arts then I will start with unlocking their chakra and follow that with chakra control. I will also teach them the basic Academy taijutsu and the three Academy ninjutsus to jumpstart their education."

"Good, very good. Your title as an Elite Tutor is well-deserved." Naruto praised, stroking Ebisu's ego. He took another sip of his cooling tea before continuing. "Now, as for the timetable, is it possible for you to teach them all those within the span of a year?"

"A year?" Ebisu said with some surprise. "Private tutoring in the shinobi arts takes 3 years, Asakura-sama."

"That is true if you are tutoring underage and green-behind-the-ears brats. However, my disciples are quite mature thanks to their shamanic training. I doubt any of your other students can boast of surviving half a day in the Forest of Death fighting the local denizens just to train their skills." Naruto said with some amusement.

"B-but…" Ebisu started in disbelief but was cut off by the Hokage.

"Trust me, Ebisu, Naruto's disciples are quite mature for their age and very powerful disciples in the shamnic arts."

"Are you sure, Hokage-sama?" Ebisu asked his leader.

"Very sure. Do you remember the path we took to come here?"

Ebisu shuddered, seeing the various predators of the Forest of Death's S-class Sector and the shikigamis standing guard was enough to unnerve him.

"Yes."

"They survived that trial three months ago and even fought a powerful…entity just to pass Naruto's test. So yes, they are quite skilled in their own right."

"I'll take your word for it, Hokage-sama." Said Ebisu with a gulp. The Hokage nodded, happy that he drove his point home, while Naruto decided to continue.

"Now that's settled, let's proceed with the payment. I think you are already informed that this will be classed as a 1 year A-rank mission, payable monthly?" Naruto asked the stunned man.

"Y-yes. That is quite generous of you, Asakura-sama." stammered Ebisu. Tutoring was classed as a C-rank mission at best and paid at the end of the mission, which is usually three years. To be paid an A-rank bounty monthly was definitely a generous offer that he couldn't pass up.

"Generosity has nothing to do with it." Naruto said bluntly. "You are passing knowledge and training of to my disciples so you will be paid handsomely for this." He gestured towards his butler. " Kenjiro? The items if you would."

"Hai, Asakura-sama." said Kenjiro before going to the side table picking up a box. He returned and placed the item on the table in front of Naruto. He opened the box to reveal a bracelet made of jade.

"This is an item that will get you safely past the protection I erected along the path you used to come here. Make sure that you wear it before entering the gate. This will mark you as a friendly, ensuring that my shikigamis will protect you from the denizens of the forest while you are my disciple's tutors." said Naruto as he took the jade bracelet from the box and handed it to a shaking Ebisu who immediately wore it on his wrist with relief. "Keep in mind that the protection on the bracelet ensures your safety. But if you bring someone with you then let's just say that my shikigami will do more than teach them a lesson." Naruto said ominously.

"Does Hokage-sama have the same protection?"

"No since I already added his spiritual signature to the barriers I placed. He can use the path safely without fear." Naruto said with some amusement. "I think you noticed that he cloaked you with his chakra when you came here?"

"I noticed that." Ebisu admitted. This was the first time he was cloaked by the Sandaime Hokage's potent and he didn't know why that was.

"He was temporarily giving you his spiritual signature through his chakra so you were safe. Leave or enter this place without the bracelet then you will be having the time of your life." Naruto said with a cold chuckle that scared the shit out of the Elite Jounin.

"Understood, Asakura-sama."

"Perfect. You will start tomorrow. Training will commence in the afternoon. Come here for lunch every day so you can bond with my disciples. Training will end when dinner arrives. You will also join us then and leave afterwards unless you plan to continue teaching the brats. I hope this is satisfactory?"

"It is and thank you for this opportunity, Asakura-sama." said Ebisu with a bow of respect towards the shaman.

"You're welcome. Now that's over and done with, you can leave since I still have some things to discuss with the Hokage." Naruto said in dismissal causing the Jounin to nod and leave the room in a puff of smoke and leave, a trademark Konoha Shunshin.

"What do you want to talk to me about, Naruto-kun?" asked the Hokage when he felt Ebisu's chakra signature disappear from the grounds of the Asakura compound.

"I'm planning to join Ebisu's lessons since I want to train in using Kurama's chakra." Naruto told his surrogate grandfather who was giving him a long look.

"What is the reason for using your tenant's chakra? As far as I'm concerned, you're already powerful enough without it." the Hokage queried before thanking Kenjiro who poured him another round of tea.

"The reason is quite simple, jiji. I plan to experiment in combining Kurama's chakra and Furyoku. I already experimented with it a few times and its applications are mediocre at best. If I want to succeed in this experiment then I need to learn how to channel chakra properly."

"What experiments did you do?" asked the Hokage. The word sparked a sour memory involving his wayward student, Orochimaru, who turned traitor after being discovered of using humans to experiment with bloodlines.

"Well, I experimented in combining Kurama's chakra with my shikigamis but that is a total failure since the bijuu's energy is too potent. The end result destroyed the shikigamis before they could form. I'm not sure how it would affect more powerful shikigamis but using his chakra for my guards and Leaf Shikigamis destroyed them upon contact." Naruto admitted before gathering his thoughts. "However, I found out that using Kurama's chakra with my Furyoku constructs improved its overall performance and gave it a few tweaks in terms of abilities."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Take my Furyoku Shield for example." said Naruto as he activated the technique. His body was covered by an aura of transparent energy. "Now if you add Kurama's chakra to the mix." The aura took a reddish hue before a part of the construct extended to form a spectral hand. "As you can see, adding Kurama's chakra to my Furyoku Shield gives me the ability to manipulate its shape, keeping the solidity while making it malleable to form shapes."

"Interesting. Any side-effects in using his chakra?" Sarutobi asked curiously, impressed by the power he felt from the technique.

"Aside from the fact that Kurama's chakra is too potent for me to channel other than small amounts without going berserk? Nothing as of yet. Kurama already warned me that too much of his chakra in my system will cause me to go into a berserk-like state that I can do without. As it stands, the amount of his chakra I am using now is the most I can do without succumbing to the berserker mindset."

"I see. Unlike normal human chakra, a bijuu's chakra is too corrosive to one's mentality. Such is the case, if you want to use it properly then you need to properly control the chakra, thus, the chakra control training. Are you sure you want to expose Ebisu to the bijuu's chakra?"

"No, I don't plan to. I will attend the lessons via my viewing orb. I can listen to the lessons in my warded study. I'll leave the actual training when he is not around."

"If that is the case then I approve." Sarutobi said with a nod. "I'll have Inu bring you some scrolls on chakra control exercises, as well as the diary of Uzumaki Mito. I'm sure that there should be something there about using Kurama's chakra since she was his first container."

"I didn't know such a diary exists." Naruto said with some surprise. "I thank you for that, jiji. When can you deliver the diary?"

"I can have Inu deliver it tonight if you're in a hurry." the Hokage offered.

"Tonight then. I can't wait to read it." Naruto said with a grin. "Now, are you going to stay for dinner?"

"What's on the menu?" the aged leader ask in interest.

"I'm not sure but it is Masahiro's turn to cook so I guess it would be a common staple of Tetsu no Kuni."

"Ah, I'll be staying then. It's been quite a while since I tasted some delicacy from Iron Country." said Sarutobi with a smile which Naruto shared as they moved on to common topics as they waited for the kids to return.

* * *

**End of Chapter 12**


End file.
